BC baseball played the second half of a four-game series against Mount Marty Sunday and went 1-1 at Bishop Mueller Field. After dropping both contests to the Lancers Saturday, the Chargers won game one 7-6 and lost game two 3-2 Sunday.
Game one got off to a rough start for the Chargers, giving up four runs in the first inning. Cole Anderson got things going for the Lancers with a solo home run as the games second batter. Briar Cliff cut the Mount Marty lead in half in the second frame. Jared Sitzmann knocked a double to right field to score Jake Hubbard and then capitalized on a Lancer error to trail 4-2.
The Chargers had a big fourth inning, putting four runs on the board to go ahead 6-4, thanks in part to two errors by the Lancer defense. With Darnell Prince and Connor Lange on base, Jake Allen hit a sacrifice fly to score Prince and move Lange to second. Sitzmann reached first on a misplayed grounder to advance Lange, then Lange was driven in by a fielders choice by Denton Porter. Matt Hmiliewski got on base by a dropped pop up, allowing Porter to cross home plate. Hmiliewski scored the final run of the frame on a Jake Federico single.
Sitzmann drove home the game-winning run in the fifth inning, doubling to score Jake Hubbard. The Lancers threatened to retake the lead in the seventh with a homer in the top of the frame and putting two runners on base, but Austin Carter struck out the final batter to secure the BC win.
Carter gets the win on the mound for the Cliff, going 2.2 innings in relief. Carter and Houston Hawkings combined for six strikeouts and no walked batters. Dylan Nicholson took the loss, giving up six hits and two earned runs (five total).
Sitzmann and Cyler Melvin tallied two hits each and Sitzmann had two RBIs.
Game two ended in heartbreak for the Cliff. Up 2-1, the Chargers gave up a home run in the top of the ninth. Alex Kremer struck out the next three batters to get out of the inning at 2-2. The Chargers went down in order in the bottom half and forced a tenth frame. With a runner on second, the Lancers Alex Lagrutta doubled to put his team up by one and the Cliff could not come back in the bottom half.
Both sides had good showings from their pitchers. The Lancer staff struck out 13 batters while Briar Cliffs pitchers had 11 strikeouts. No pitchers allowed a walk in the game.
Nick Cole led things off on the pitchers mound for Briar Cliff. The senior lasted six innings, allowing four hits and one run while striking out four. Tyler Kjose, Kremer and Carter each contributed in relief.
Mount Marty had four total home runs on the day from four different batters.
The Cliff will take the field again Tuesday with a doubleheader against Peru State.
