Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 The Benedictine University baseball team split a doubleheader against St. Norbert College at Chain of Lakes Stadium in Winter Haven, Florida on Friday. BenU took game one 4-3 in walk-off fashion, but dropped game two 4-2.
Game 1 Both starting pitchers started the game out strong with SNC's Brett Nohr and BenU's
Christopher Jordan each tossed scoreless first and second innings. The Green Knights tagged Jordan for two runs in the top of the third, but BenU responded in the bottom of the inning when
Brandon Villanueva drove in
Max Oppenheimer on a double to make the score 2-1.
After a scoreless fourth inning for both teams, the Green Knights plated one in the top of the fifth. Just as in the third, however, BenU responded right back in the bottom of the fifth, scoring twice with two outs to tie the game. After Oppenheimer and
Kyle Bock recorded two-out singles, Villanueva reached on an error and scored Oppenheimer. One batter later,
Tim Hendricks singled in Bock to tie the score.
Timothy Feely entered in relief of Jordan and kept SNC at bay for the next two innings, giving the Eagles a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh. BenU would do just that, as the Green Knights would hit three batters in the frame, with the final one being
Brandon Clark with the bases loaded.
Matthew Higgs scored on the play, giving BenU the 4-3 win.
Jordan went five innings, earning a no decision and recording three strikeouts while allowing seven hits, three earned runs, and no walks. Feeley earned the win in relief, tossing two scoreless innings and allowing just one hit.
At the plate, Benedictine recorded seven hits. Oppenheimer was a perfect 2-for-2, while Higgs, Bock, Villanueva, Hendricks, and Nick Fillimore tallied one hit a piece.
Game 2
After a scoreless first inning, the Eagles struck in the top of the second on an RBI groundout from Clark. However, The Green Knights did damage against BenU starter
Joe Palasiewicz, scoring runs in the second, third, and fourth to take a 4-1 lead.
The Eagles bullpen of
Jake Trumpis,
Will Diessner, and
Christopher Nesbitt combined to hold SNC scoreless for the rest of the game, but the offense could only muster one more run in support of the pitching staff. In the top of the fifth, Higgs hit a sacrifice fly, bringing the score to the eventual 4-2 final.
Palasiewicz took his first loss of the season, tossing 3.1 innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits. Trumpis, Diessner, and Nesbitt combined to allow four hits and no runs.
Offensively, the Eagles recorded just two hits: a Bock single and a
Erik Callaghan double.
BenU closes out the Florida trip tomorrow morning against Ramapo College. The Eagles will play at 9:00 a.m. CT (10:00 a.m. ET) at Lake Myrtle Field #2 in Auburndale, Florida.
