Eagles add to the L column, looking for wins as season ends
After getting swept in their last two series, the College of Eastern Utah men’s baseball team needed to get back on track and get some wins to help their conference record. They started off by welcoming Colorado Northwestern Community College, and finished by bringing Salt Lake Community College into town.
When the Eagles welcomed CNCC they knew that they needed to get some wins under their belt and the first game was a challenge all the way though the 12th inning. CEU and CNCC have sat at the cellar of the conference most of the season.
This archived article was written by: Riley Spears
After getting swept in their last two series, the College of Eastern Utah men’s baseball team needed to get back on track and get some wins to help their conference record. They started off by welcoming Colorado Northwestern Community College, and finished by bringing Salt Lake Community College into town.
When the Eagles welcomed CNCC they knew that they needed to get some wins under their belt and the first game was a challenge all the way though the 12th inning. CEU and CNCC have sat at the cellar of the conference most of the season.
The Eagles sent out their ace, Riley Gordon to hold down the CNCC hitters. Gordon came into the game with a 4.03 ERA and a 2-2 record. Gordon had been the most solid pitcher for the Eagles all year with 23 strike outs and six walks.
In the first game, the Eagles gave up two early runs but managed to get them back in the fifth and the sixth with Colby Reed scoring off an error and Trever Thompson bringing in Brant Thomas to tie the game. The game went into extra innings with a score of 2-2. It was not until the 12th inning when Matt Park led off the inning with a triple and then Bryson Griffin and Thomas got a walk. With no outs and the bases loaded, Josh Barber, the leader in RBI’s for the Eagles, came through with a single to bring in Park for the 3-2 win.
The Eagles pulled off the close game with eight hits. Park led the team going 4-5 with three singles and one triple. Reed was right behind him going 3-5 with three singles.
Gordon had a great game going the distance and throwing all 12 innings and giving up seven hits and two runs. Gordon also compiled 10 strikeouts.
In the second game, the Eagles sent out Fernando Martinez. He was trying for his first win of the season and needed to find the strike zone, he gave up 24 walks in 20 innings.
The first inning was a bad for the Eagles who gave up two runs on two errors. In the third inning, they gave up two more runs and made the deficit 4-0 going into the fourth. CNCC brought one more runner across the plate. It was not until the sixth inning when CEU finally got something going. Morton walked and was brought home by Reed. In the seventh, Josh Sturges singled to start the game and scored on a error. With a final score of 2-5, the Eagles dropped the second game.
Martinez pitched the game for the Eagles, giving up two walks and five runs, none of which were earned. Five CEU errors were committed in the game and that cost them the victory.
In the next game CNCC started the game much like the previous by scoring quick. In the first inning CNCC scored three runs off starting pitcher Mike Newbury. He came into the game with a 3.87 ERA and a one-and-one record. In the second inning, CNCC put five more runs on the board. With all the scoring CNCC was putting on the board, the one run that CEU put on the board in the first was over looked as Thomas was brought in by Reed. The Eagles also put Kappas, Steele and Matson on the hill in the game, but CNCC picked up another win 11-1.
In the last game of the series, Kyle Graham started the game. Graham has been another solid pitcher for the Eagles, striking out 10 in 21 innings of work with a 9.7 ERA.
The Eagles needed to get the win in the last game of the series and it was another close game. It wasn’t until the third inning when Sturges brought in Mitch Moore. In the fifth Park got his first homer of the season leading off the inning with a bomb. The Eagles managed to get the 2-1 win with Graham picking up the W.
The next series against SLCC who leads the conference. The Eagles needed to get a win, but SLCC had other ideas. SLCC didn’t score until the fifth when they put five on the board and CEU put up one with Moore scoring.
Going into the last bats for CEU the score was 8-1. CEU started to get some hits but managed four runs. Morton, Sturges, Reed and Park all scored in the game. CEU fell to SLCC 7-5.
Game two, the Ealges sent out Newbury again and held SLCC until the third inning. After Newbury; Kappas, Steele and Madson all got a chance on the hill but SLCC still put 11 runs on the board compared to CEU’s three. Moore, Morton and Gordon all scored for the Eagles.
In the next game Martinez was back on the hill, Martinez went the whole game for CEU and only gave up four runs. CEU was not able to make a game out of it, scoring one run. The one run was scored by Hollingsworth with Himmer getting the RBI.
The next game CEU managed to have the lead going into the sixth, but in the sixth SLCC started to get some hits and got three runs against the starting pitcher Gordon. Garret Rose was put in the game after Gordon and gave up two more runs. With a final score of 4-1, CEU fell again.
