The SXU Cougar baseball team split their double-header on Saturday against Olivet Nazarene University, winning the first game 5-4 in walk-off fashion and losing the second by a final tally of 22-4.
The first game threatened to go the way of Olivet Nazarene, as they scored two runs in both the second and fourth innings, but a couple late-inning rallies by the Cougars gave them the victory.
Trailing 4-0 with one out in the sixth, left fielder Brad Myjak was hit by a pitch to begin the first rally. First baseman Thomas Keating then reached on an error. A walk to third baseman Bryan Villanova loaded the bases, which gave designated hitter Matt Munizzi an RBI opportunity. Munizzi cashed in by drawing another walk, thereby plating Myjak to get the Cougars on the board.
Following an Olivet Nazarene pitching change, the Cougars were able to keep their momentum going when, with the bases still loaded, freshman shortstop Alec Barnhart drove a single through the center of the diamond that scored two more and got them within striking distance at 4-3.
The seventh and final inning saw even more dramatics. A leadoff walk allowed by relief pitcher Dan Maton spelled the end of his day. Then Dan Wetzel came on in relief and promptly picked off the runner at first, struck out his first batter faced swinging and induced a lazy fly ball to center to get his teammates into the dugout with just the one-run deficit.
A leadoff double in the bottom half of the seventh from right fielder Chris Klein gave the Cougar faithful some hope. With one out, Keating then lifted a soft single to center field and moved into second on an unsuccessful throw home to get Klein, who scored and tied the game at four.
Mike Stirling, pinch running for Keating, advanced to third on a wild pitch. Villanova was intentionally walked and Barnhart coaxed a walk with two out. It all came down to this: the bases were loaded, two out, bottom of the seventh inning, freshman second baseman Brian McQuillan at bat. But before McQuillan could find a satisfactory pitch to hit, a pitch got away and hit him, giving the Cougars a walk-off 5-4 victory.
SXU’s good fortune in the first game did not carry over to the second, however, and the Cougars were undone by lapses in pitching and defense.
After a four-run first inning for Olivet Nazarene, the Cougars came back and got one run of their own as Keating drove in catcher Tony O’Shea, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the Cougar half of the first. SXU got another run in the second inning on a passed ball.
But Olivet Nazarene made it difficult to answer their scoring with a 10-run fourth inning that the Cougars could not overcome, despite a two-run home run from Keating in the bottom of the fifth.
The Cougars will be looking for more of the good they saw in the first game when they take on Trinity Christian College in a double-header on April 6 at home.
Tim Carroll
Sports Contributor