ST. CATHARINE, Ky. (Baseball) – The Shawnee State baseball team historically struggles on the road versus St. Catharine College. In fact, the Bears have never won a road contest against the Patriots.
That trend continued Sunday and Monday, as the Bears opened Mid-South Conference play with three-straight losses on the road to SCC. SSU fell, 5-2 and 7-0, in a twinbill Sunday, before dropping a 2-1extra-inning game on Monday. SSU scored just three runs in the series, dropping its conference-low scoring output to just three runs per game.
The Bears opened game one with an admirable performance on the hill from starter Derek Moore (SO/Wheelersburg, Ohio), who went 7.1 innings, allowing just two runs before a three-run eighth chased the right-hander. Moore finished with five earned runs allowed, striking out eight while walking one in the loss.
St. Catharine opened up the scoring in the fourth with back-to-back infield hits before a fielder's choice loaded the bases with no outs. Moore induced a strikeout, but a fielder's choice from Francisco Gonzalez plated the first run of the game.
Alfredo Bohorqez scored a second run in the bottom of the fifth, singling to lead off the inning and heading home on a base hit from Santiago Arce. That concluded the scoring until the three-run eighth.
Dominique Guevara provided the big hit, knocking a double to the right-center field gap to plate a pair of runs. Brandon Bonar (JR/Chillicothe, Ohio) replaced Moore and recorded an out before Gonzalez plated one more run with a single.
The Bears scored for the first time with two runs in the top of the ninth, but could not overcome the now five-run deficit. Mason Wisner (SR/Bay Village, Ohio) and Mitchell Lendenski (JR/Loveland, Ohio) each notched RBIs in the final frame, while a pair of pinch runners, Chase Clary (FR/South Shore, Ky.) and Alex Shears (SO/Lucasville, Ohio), come on to score.
In game two, it was all Patriots, as the home squad scored six runs in the opening two innings of the seven-frame contest. SCC recorded just six hits, but capitalized on six walks, including five from starter Cody Strayer (JR/Worthington, Ohio). Strayer went 1.1 innings, allowing six earned runs despite allowing just three hits to take the loss.
Bonar, Tyler Arthur (FR/Morehead, Ky.) and Clay Tefft (FR/Wauseon, Ohio) each provided scoreless relief work to get the Bears through the fifth inning without anymore damage, and Austyn Goodwin (FR/Lexington, Ky.) surrendered an unearned run in the sixth to close things out.
Blake Maines (SO/Burlington, Ky.) provided a pair of hits in three at-bats for SSU, which collected just as many hits as SCC, but left four runners aboard in the game. Steven Borkowski earned the victory, going seven complete for the shutout. Borkowski struck out four and did not walk a batter.
On Monday, the Bears got a very strong outing on the hill from Mike Watson (FR/Niles, Ohio), who went 7.1 innings, allowing just five hits and an earned run while striking out two and walking none. Jacob Waters (JR/DeWitt, Mich.) went the final three frames, taking the loss in extra innings.
The Bears got off to a one-run advantage in the opening frame, when Lendenski opened with a leadoff single. Connor Wilson followed with a two-out double to center field to plate the leadoff batter. From there, the two squads put up goose eggs until the eighth inning.
It was the Patriots who got on the board in the eighth to force extras, when Harold Diaz singled to plate Lamont Calloway and bring the score even. The two teams again went scoreless in the ninth and 10th frames.
In the 11th, it was Tyler Devine who provided the walk-off heroics. With one out and the bases loaded, Devine singled to left and Calloway again headed home to bring the game to an end.
The Bears are back in action immediately, taking on West Virginia Tech in a single-game non-conference bout on Tuesday – the first game slated to be played at Branch Rickey Park this season. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.
