Baseball falls in late inning surges
After multiple weather delays and many rescheduled games, Cougar baseball finished a three-game series against Marian University yesterday afternoon with a 16-7 loss.
The game ended with 23 hits and three home runs between the two teams. Marian earned the series victory, 2-1.
“Playing as a team has been our biggest struggle,” said senior pitcher Jacob Chrysler. “Either the defense is playing well but we aren’t hitting, or we are scoring without playing defense. We have to get on the same page.”
During yesterday’s matchup the teams remained scoreless in the first inning. Marian earned the first run in the second and MVNU took the lead with a four-run third inning.
At the end of the fifth the score was 5-2 in the Cougars’ favor. The fifth and sixth innings were uneventful for both teams before the bats came alive in the seventh. Marian tied the score at seven in the seventh inning.
The eighth inning propelled the Knights forward as they brought home four runners, three of which came from Jordan Jackson’s home run. Marian pushed the score to 11-7.
MVNU was unable to respond to the Knights energy and Marian added five more runs in the ninth inning. The game ended 16-7.
Four different pitchers took the mound for MVNU during the game.
Chrysler pitched the first six innings. He allowed four hits, gave up three runs, struck out six, and walked five batters.
Freshman Mark Rader pitched one inning allowing four two hits, four runs (three unearned) and two walks. He struck out two batters.
Sophomore Ashton Myers took the mound next. During his only inning pitched he allowed three hits and four runs.
Sophomore Alex Dhayer pitched the final inning allowing four hits, five runs and one batter walked.
Reflecting on the game, Chrysler hopes to see the team come together and take it one game at a time.
“We have to stop beating ourselves and start focusing on playing our game well to beat the other team,” said Chrysler.
Cougars fall to Maple Leafs over the weekend
Over the weekend the team competed in a three-game series at Goshen College. Falling to the Maple Leafs 8-5 on Friday, the Cougars came back on Saturday for a competitive double header.
The Cougars lost the first game 5-4, then powered forward to beat Goshen 6-1 in the final game of the series.
On Friday, the two teams remained scoreless until the fourth inning when Goshen took a 2-0 lead.
MVNU senior Corey Gould’s grand slam in the sixth inning gave MVNU a 4-2 lead. In the seventh inning, both teams added a run, pushing the score to 5-3.
Goshen responded with five runs in the eighth inning, clinching the victory for the Maple Leafs.
Freshman pitcher Clint Conner allowed two runs over his six innings on the mound. He struck out four and walked three batters.
Freshman designated hitter Trevor Kiner recorded two hits in his four at-bats.
On day two, the teams played two seven-inning games. MVNU dropped game one 5-4 in eight innings. Going into the seventh inning, the two teams were tied at 2-2.
The Cougars added two runs to the score but Goshen responded with a two-run home run from senior designated hitter Vincent Caschera.
Freshman pitcher Colby Malson struck out three Cougars in a row in the eighth inning, setting up freshman Spenser Triplett’s double. Sophomore Connor Clemens’ double drove in Triplett, ending game one.
In game two, Goshen took an early 1-0 lead. The Cougars responded with six unanswered runs, highlighted by junior Jesse Staudt’s two-run home run in the fourth inning.
Senior Bryce Arledge pitched for seven innings. He allowed six hits, gave up one run, struck out five and walked zero batters.
Looking ahead the Cougars hope to “keep competing well,” Gould said.
“We also have to avoid late inning surges by opposing teams,” said Gould. “We have been putting too many men on base.”
To do that, MVNU must limit the opposing team from getting runners on base.
Chrysler looks forward to today’s matchup against Spring Arbor and seeing what the team will bring to the field.
“Today’s game is going to test us,” said Chrysler. “They are a quality team. But, we have to take it one day at a time and stick together.
Today’s double header begins at 1 p.m.