Baseball Falls in Extras in Game One; Bounce Back in Game Two vs. Red Storm

(Howell, MI)-- The Cleary Cougar baseball team was in action at home Tuesday, as they took on the Rio Grande Red Storm in a non-conference doubleheader at Lake Trust Stadium.

In Game 1: The early action would favor the Cougars, as they were able to build a 6-2 lead over the first two innings.  In the first inning, Austin Vincent and Conner Boone got things going with both reaching safely to start the game.  After Vincent advanced to third base, he would score on Brendan Seman's groundout giving the Cougars a 1-0 lead.  Rio Grande would respond in the second inning, scoring a pair of runs, and taking a 2-1 lead in the process.  Cleary would answer in a big way in the bottom of the second inning.  Back to back doubles from Ryan Rose and Dylan Cambron would tie the game.  Later in the inning, an RBI single from Austin Vincent with the bases loaded would score Cambron to give Cleary the lead.  Conner Boone would then draw a bases loaded walk, scoring Joseph Miller, and making the score 4-2.  After a pitching change, Brendan Seman would hit an infield single to score Luciano Bollini.  The final run of the inning came on a Jake VanderHaar sacrifice fly that scored Austin Vincent, and made the score 6-2.  The Red Storm would score two more runs in the fourth inning, narrowing the deficit to 6-4, but Cleary would get one run back in the bottom half of the inning to regain some cushion.  Ryan Rose would hit a sacrifice fly that scored Brendan Seman to make it 7-4.  Unfortunately for the Cougars, the rest of the game would favor the Red Storm, as they scored two runs in the fifth inning, to make the score 7-6.  They would then tied the game at 7-7 on a bases loaded hit by pitch in the sixth inning.  Cleary would get out of the jam with an inning ending double play.  In the bottom of the seventh Cleary had their shot to win in a walk-off.  Matt Torresan would draw a leadoff walk, and advanced into scoring position on a passed ball.  Cleary attempted a sacrifice bunt, but the Red Storm made a stellar defensive play to get the lead runner.  Rio Grande would get out of the inning unscathed, forcing extra innings.  Rio Grande would take advantage of a defensive miscue in the eighth inning, scoring the go-ahead run, and making the score 8-7.  Cleary would get the tying and go-ahead runners on with two outs, but would be unable to get either of those runners home, as the game would end in eight innings with an 8-7 score.

Josh Lucier would suffer the loss on the mound, allowing 1 unearned run in 2.2 innings on 2 hits.  Brendan Seman, Ryan Rose, and Dylan Cambron all recorded 2 hits in the game.

In Game 2: Cleary would score four runs with two outs in the bottom of the first inning to open up the game's scoring.  Brendan Seman and Ryan Rose started the rally with back to back singles, and Seman would score on a Dylan Cambron double.  One batter later, Matt Torresan hit a single up the middle, scoring Austin Gates (who pinch ran for Cambron) and Ryan Rose, to make the score 3-0.  Two batters later, Logan Simunic hit an infield single but it would be enough to score Matt Torresan, and made the score 4-0 in favor of the Cougars.  In the third inning, Ryan Rose and Dylan Cambron both reached base safely to start the inning.  Matt Torresan would hit a single, scoring Ryan Rose, and making the score 5-0.  Luciano Bollini would then reach on a fielder's choice, scoring pinch-runner Austin Gates, to make the score 6-0.  Cleary would score their final run in the fourth inning.  Keegan Hutchinson would lead off the inning with a single, and came around to score one batter later when Austin Gates singled to right field.  Rio Grande would get one run on the board in the seventh inning, but that would be as close as they would get, as the game would end with a 7-1 final score.

Hector Montilla would throw 3 innings of shutout baseball with 4 strikeouts to start the game, earning his third win of the season.  Travis Murray would throw 1 inning of shutout baseball in his Cleary debut, while Bryson Roberts and Noah Arbogast would each finish the game, as the Cougars combined to allow 5 hits and had 6 total strikeouts.  Dylan Cambron and Matt Torresan each went 2/3 in the game, with Torresan having 3 RBI.

Cleary is now 14-10 overall, and will return to WHAC play on Saturday, March 28, when they host the Defiance College Yellow Jackets in a conference doubleheader.  First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1:00 PM.