Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Joe Burgarino, Sports Information Graduate Assistant
MOUNT OLIVE, NC- The Pfeiffer baseball team (3-10, 0-2 CC) opened up Conference Carolinas play with a pair of losses to Mount Olive (6-3, 2-0 CC) on Saturday afternoon. The Falcons dropped a high scoring affair in game one 9-8 and fell in game two by a score of 3-1.
Pfeiffer lost game one despite outhitting the Trojans 10 to five. The defense plagued the Falcons, as they committed five errors and gave up four unearned runs. Pfeiffer struck first in the top of the first inning when Jordan Eckard hit a two out single, advanced on a wild pitch and then scored on a throwing error by the Mount Olive third baseman. The Trojans responded by scoring five runs in the bottom of the third inning that featured a grand slam home run by Joe Koehler.
Pfeiffer scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning, using three consecutive hits to push across those runs. Derek Perry single up the middle scoring Ryne Stanley who singled earlier in the inning. Brandall Peters singled and later scored on a Dylan Goodman sacrifice fly cutting the UMO lead to 5-3. Zach Scudder followed that up with his first home run of the season in the top of the sixth inning. The Falcons were able to put the tying run on second base in the top of the eighth, when Scudder hit a sharp line drive, that appeared to be a single, but the Mount Olive shortstop made a great diving catch to end the frame.
Mount Olive scored four more times in the bottom of the eighth inning giving the Trojans a 9-4 advantage. With one out in the top of the ninth Tanner Mathis singled up the middle. Stanley doubled scoring pitch runner Damon Smith from second base. Goodman drove in his second run of the game when he singled to left field scoring Peters from second base. However, as the Falcons grounded into a fielder's choice to end the game.
The Falcons were only able to push one run across in game two. The Trojans started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning manufacturing two runs on three hits. Pfeiffer cut the lead in half in the top of the third inning when Scudder singled through the right side, scoring Jordan Eckard who singled earlier in the frame. Mount Olive added one more insurance run in the bottom of the fourth inning en route to their second victory.
Austin Hutchison picked up his third win of the season for the Trojans, pitching seven innings, allowing only five hit and striking out nine batters.
Derek Perry recorded four hits on the day for the Falcons going 2-for-5 in game one and 2-for-4 in the night cap.
Pfeiffer returns to action tomorrow in the series finale against Mount Olive. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
