In Game 1, Mid-Continent struck first with three runs in the 2nd inning. Trojan starter, Justin McGhee, settled in after the shaky inning and didn't allow another run over his 5 innings pitched. The Trojans bounced back with a run in the top of the 3rd thanks to some good base running by Josh Jackson and a two-out single off the bat of Marc Luttrell. The Trojans weren't done, taking the lead in the 4th with a three-run homer to right-center off the bat of Andrus Kuilan. The two-out bomb drove in Levi Graham and Tyler Leihenseder. The 4-3 score held until the sixth when Thad McVeigh got into the action with a pinch-hit lead off home run to right. The Trojans struck again in the sixth, extending the lead to 6-3 on a two-out base hit by Matt Savage with Jackson scoring on the play.
In the bottom of the sixth, Mid-Continent came roaring back. With the bases loaded, and no outs, Roy Whitehead, who had replaced Justin McGhee, got his first out of the inning via a strikeout. Zach Bedsworth was called on next to get out of the jam. A weak ground ball up the middle seemed like it would do the job, but somehow it got through, scoring two runs, cutting the HLG lead to 6-5. With the bases loaded again, this time with two down, Chris Kuenzle came in to stop the bleeding. Again, a fly ball to center seemed to do the trick. However, a poorly placed sun interfered with the would-be catch and two more runs crossed the plate. After another run was plated on another base hit, the Trojans found themselves down 8-6 going into their last at bat.
The Trojans again rose to the call with two outs. Thad McVeigh singled to center, followed by a single to left by Tyler Leihenseder. Kuilan followed them up by lining his first pitch down the left field line, setting Josh Pierce and Andrew Bonnel, who had come in to pinch run, off to the races. Pierce scored easily and Bonnel was waved around 3rd, but he was gunned down at the plate on a good play and relay throw by the 3rd basemen, ending the game at a 7-8 Trojan disadvantage.
Roy Whitehead ended up with the loss (0-1), after being charged with 2 earned runs in 1/3 of an innning.
In Game 2, Jacob Genz took the ball for the Trojans. His 2 earned runs over 5 innings had the game tied, going into bottom of the 6th, with Justin Miller and Travis Mundahl driving in runs for the Trojans. The 6th inning proved to be the Trojans' Achilles heel again, as Ryan Crouse took the mound. Crouse worked into a jam, but looked as though he was going to get out of it, as a two out fly ball headed to right. The sun played a factor again, the ball was not caught, and Mid-Continent ended up scoring four runs in the inning. The Trojans tried to rally in the 7th, but Bonnel and Justin Miller were stranded and 6-2 was the final.
Ryan Crouse took the loss, although he was not charged with an earned run in his inning of work.
Friday, Elvin Chavez got the ball in the 9-inning, single-game series finale. Chavez continued the run of solid starting pitching performances, getting through 5 2/3 innings and allowing only 2 earned runs while striking out 2. The Trojans notched single runs in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 9th innings, with RBI coming from Bryant Fernetti (2), Levi Graham, and Matt Savage. After two scoreless innings of relief, Josey Garnett, took to the mound in the bottom of the 9th with a 5-3 lead. The inning, and the game, ended on a Mid-Continent grand slam that sealed the sweep, 8-5.
The Trojans hoped to get another shot at their first win on Saturday, but GCS Stadium in St. Louis proved to be unplayable. The games with Clarke College will not be rescheduled.
This week, HLG was scheduled to travel to Missouri Valley College on Wednesday, but the weather has gotten in the way again, cancelling that game as well. The last remaining game on the docket before Spring Break is a JV contest to be played at Central Methodist University on Thursday, with a double-header starting at 5:00 PM. Stayed tuned to www.twitter.com/HLGBaseball for updates.
