GAME ONE
BOXSCORE
GAME TWO
BOXSCORE
PAINESVILLE, OHIO – Despite some big numbers on offense,
the Lake Erie Baseball team dropped a pair of close games on
Saturday (March 20), falling to Malone University 15-12 and 13-11
at Urbana University.
Malone (15-5) broke open a two-run game one with an
eight-run third inning highlighted by Allen Strouble's grand
slam. Justin Shiflett added a two-run single and Joe Goddard closed
the inning with a two-run homer.
Ryan Rua's
(Amherst, Ohio/Amherst) three-run home run in the fourth
got a few runs back, but the Storm (4-8) trailed 15-4 heading
into the bottom of the sixth. Rua and junior Brandon
James (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) hit solo home runs in the
frame as the Storm attempted to mount a comeback. It was the second
home run of the game for both players.
Lake Erie scored six times in
the bottom of the seventh to close within three runs and had the
tying run at the plate with two outs but Bryan Bayer got sophomore
Mike Morgan (Indian Lake, Ohio/Russells Point) to
ground out to end it.
Rua finished the game
four-for-five with five runs batted in while James drove in three
runs and scored three times.
In game two, Rua and junior
captain Nick Lovick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) hit
back-to-back home runs in the third inning as Lake Erie took a 6-5
lead early. But again, a big inning by Malone did in the
Storm.
The Pioneers put up their second
eight-run inning of the day in the fourth inning, with Goddard and
Kyle Sprague each homering, to take command 13-6.
The Storm again made a game of
it late, scoring three times in the fifth and James delivered a
two-run bomb in the sixth to get LEC within a pair. But after a
inning-opening single by freshman Pat Kilway (Tallmadge,
Ohio/Tallmadge), Jared Messer retired the final three
hitters to close the game.
James went three-for-four with
two RBI, giving him seven runs batted in and six runs scored in the
doubleheader. He and Rua each finished with thre home runs on the
day. Matt Toth (Lorain, Ohio/Admiral King)
also had three hits in game two.
After the big fourth by Malone,
Rua took the mound and fired two scoreless innings to allow the
Storm to attempt the comeback.
More information on these games
to follow.
The Storm (4-8) will play host
Urbana in a doubleheader on Sunday.
