AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Husson University baseball team earned their first victory of the season as they split a doubleheader with Dominican University of Illinois at Lake Myrtle Sports Park on Saturday at the RussMatt Baseball Invitational. The Stars (2-3) won the first contest, 13-8, before the Eagles (1-2) won the second game, 8-3.
Game One: Dominican 13, Husson 8
The Stars would start the contest scoring the first five runs before the Eagles got on the board in the top of the third inning. The Eagles started off the inning with back-to-back base hits from juniors Akira Warren and Jackson Curtis. Graduate students Kobe Rogerson and Ethan Stoddard would continue the inning with back-to-back doubles as they each brought in a run to make it 5-2.
The lead was back to five when the Eagles' offense brought themselves back into the game. In the fifth, Warren, Jackson Curtis, and Rogerson each recorded a base hit to load the bases with nobody out. The Eagles were able to score two runs with the bases loaded as Stoddard and sophomore Tanner Evans each earned a RBI-walk.
Junior Jackson Thayer pitched a perfect bottom of the fifth, before the Eagles took the lead in the sixth. Freshman Sully Beers came into to pinch-hit to begin the inning as he was drilled by a pitch. Jackson Curtis and Rogerson earned walks to load the bases for Stoddard who reached on a fielder's choice as he brought home Beers. Junior Jordan MacDonald came in to pitch-hit as he also walked. An error by the Stars' outfield allowed Jackson Curtis and Stoddard to score and tie the game at seven. Later in the inning, freshman Hunter Curtis earned the Eagles' fifth walk of the inning as MacDonald scored to give Husson a 8-7 lead.
The Stars would regain the lead in the bottom half of the inning for good when they put together six unanswered runs.
Sophomore Connor Abood got the start before being pulled in the first inning in favor of junior Zain Fitzsimmons who went 1.2 innings and struck out four. Freshman Ben Phillips, Thayer, junior Ryan Robb, and sophomore Ryne Rametta all made a relief appearance in the contest.
Game Two: Husson 8, Dominican 3
After a scoreless two innings, the Stars took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the third inning. The Eagles were able to scrap together three runs in the bottom half of the inning; all with two outs. Warren with a RBI-single to score freshman Jack Cote before back-to-back singles from Curtis and Rogerson to each bring in a run.
In the fourth inning, the Eagles broke the game wide open by scoring five runs on five hits to make it 8-1 Husson. With the bases loaded, Warren recorded his second of three hits in the game to score two runs before a RBI-single from Beers. Jackson Curtis delivered a sacrifice fly to score Warren then Stoddard capped off the scoring with a single to score Beers.
Junior Alex Smith pitched 4.2 innings as he recorded four strikeouts and allowed three runs on seven hits. Sophomore Matt Wallingford finished the contest for the Eagles as he retired eight of the nine batters he faced including four via strikeouts.
It's a day off for the baseball team tomorrow before they resume their trip on Monday with a single game versus Gordon College at 5:00 p.m. in Davenport, Fla.
