Cougars Split Doubleheader; Set Stage for Senior Day Playoff Push
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
|
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
|
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | X | 10 | 6 | 0 |
(Howell, MI) -- The Cleary Cougars Baseball team welcomed the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) Racers to Lake Trust Stadium this afternoon for a WHAC Conference doubleheader.
In Game 1: The Racers would get on the board first in the top of the second inning with a perfectly placed two-out bunt single that scored one run. The Cougars were able to respond immediately though, as Hector Montilla led off the bottom half of the inning with a stand-up triple. Ryan Rose then drove him in with a single to left field to tie the ball game at 1-1. The Racers responded to the Cougar threat and went on to score two more runs in the top of the third inning, making it a 3-1 ballgame. Both pitching staffs settled in from there, and the rest of the game would go scoreless. The Cougars were able to get a runner on in the seventh but were unable to score, sending them home with a 3-1 loss.
Haden Fisk (1-3) got the start on the mound for the Cougars and finished with a final stat line of 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, and 8 SO. Haden Fisk's eighth strikeout of the afternoon was his 61st of the season, which breaks the single season record of 60 which Garrett Larner held from the 2022 season.
In Game 2: The Cougars came out of the gate swinging and took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Ryan Rose delivered the two-out, two-RBI hit that scored Gavin Kempainen and Conner Boone. Cougar pitcher Will Roberts remained perfect through 3.2 innings; however, he got in some trouble in the fourth as the Racers cut the lead in half. The Cougars' offense picked him right away, grabbing a run back in the fifth inning, making it a 3-1 ballgame. In the sixth, a Racer's infield throwing error with two outs allowed Hector Montilla and Ryan Rose to score, increasing the lead to 5-1. The Cougars added more insurance runs in the eighth to take a 10-1 lead. Gavin Kempainen and Conner Boone would draw back-to-back bases-loaded walks for the first two runs. Joey Parinello then stepped up with a bases-clearing, three-RBI double. Pitcher Jack Westerhoff would come in for the ninth and shut things down and get a game-ending double play ball to send the Cougars home with a much-needed win.
Will Roberts (5-1) got the start on the mound for the Cougars and had a final stat line of 7.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, and 6 SO. He also broke Haden Fisk's single-season strikeout record, which was set in Game 1, with 62 strikeouts on the season.
The Cougars are now 22-24 overall and 12-14 in WHAC Conference play. They will host the Rochester Christian University Warriors tomorrow for the last regular season games of the season. If the Cougars win both games, they will clinch a spot in the WHAC Conference Playoff Tournament for the first time in program history. It will also be Senior Day for the Cougar baseball team as they will honor their Senior class at 12:05 before Game 1. First pitch for Game 1 will take place at 1 PM.
