AUBURNDALE, Florida -- The Siena Heights baseball team dropped a doubleheader on day three of spring training in Florida. The Saints fell to Bethel (Ind.) 13-9 in the first game before ending the day with a 7-4 loss against Grace (Ind.). Cameron Hammer (Freshman, Temperance, Mich.) finished 6-for-10 at the plate while scoring six runs in the losing effort.
THE BASICS
Final Score: Game 1: Bethel (Ind.) 13, Siena Heights 9 / Game 2: Grace (Ind.)7, Siena Heights 4
Location: Auburndale, Florida (Lake Myrtle Sports Complex)
Records: Bethel (Ind.) (15-6), Grace (Ind.) (4-7), Siena Heights (0-12)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: Bethel (Ind.) def. Siena Heights, 13-9 (9 innings)
The Saints scored first as Hammer singled and advanced to third on a single by Brad South (Freshman, Lambertville, Mich). Logan Nolff (Senior, Monroe, Mich.) singled and scored Hammer. The Pilots gained the lead as they scored three runs in the top of the second inning as Love grounded out scoring Wathier. Spera then scored on a wild pitch and Adams scored on a single by Wahl.
The teams respectively earned one run in the third inning. Love reached base on a fielder's choice scoring Wilburn. For Siena, Hammer walked and stole second then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Nolff flew out to center field scoring Hammer as the Pilots had a 4-2 lead.
Bethel tagged on two more runs in the fourth inning as Searles doubled earning two RBIs. The Saints earned a run in the bottom of the fifth inning with a triple to center field by Nolff and he scored on a ground out to shortstop by Trevor Hulvey (Sophomore, Sterling Heights, Mich.)
The Pilots had two runs in the sixth inning while Siena had one. Moss doubled scoring Wahl and Wilburn singled scoring Moss to increase the lead to 8-4. Hulvey reached base on a walk that scored Cal Olmstead (Junior, Riga, Mich.). Bethel earned five more runs as Spera homered then Miranda singled scoring Adam and Love. Love reached on an error scoring Wathier and Wilburn.
Siena had three runs in the eighth inning and two runs in the ninth ending the game. Hulvey singled scoring Hammer and South scored on a wild pitch. Nolff scored on a passed ball but it wasn't enough giving the Pilots the 13-9 win.
TOP SAINTS
• Nolff went 3-for-3 as he earned two RBIs and scored two runs.
• Hulvey went 2-for-4 tallying four RBIs.
• Marcus Beeson (L, 0-4) (Junior, St. Louis, Mich.) pitched 5.1 innings while allowing nine hits and eight runs striking out one.
THE OPPOSITION
• Wahl went 2-3 with one RBI.
• Love finished 1-for-5 earning four RBIs.
• Lewandows (W, 1-0) pitched five innings allowing seven hits and three runs while striking out two.
Game 2: Grace (Ind.) def. Siena Heights, 7-4 (9 innings)
The Saints started things off as they earned one run in the top of the first inning as Parker Mabe (Freshman, Fenton, Mich.) singled down the right-field line scoring Anthony Scali (Freshman, Pickering, Ontario). The Lancers answered back as they took the lead 2-1 as Anderson reached first on an error scoring Rich and Griffin.
Siena retook the lead 3-2 scoring two runs in the top of the second inning. Collin Bammer (Sophomore, Grosse Ile, Mich.) singled and scored as Scali tripled earning two RBIs. Grace was back in the lead 4-3 as they scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Mullet walked and Newkirk homered to earned two RBIs.
The Saints knotted things up at 4-4 scoring one run in the top of the fifth inning. Hammer singled and stole second as Scali reached first on an error by the pitcher scoring Hammer. Siena struggled at the plate the remainder of the game as they had four scoreless innings.
The Lancers had two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and one run in the seventh. Anderson tripled scoring Rich and Griffin then Newkirk doubled scoring Mullet. Grace's final innings were scoreless as the game ended 7-4 giving them the victory.
TOP SAINTS
• Hammer finished 3-for-5 scoring two runs.
• Scali went 2-4 earning three RBIs and scored one run.
• Austin McCaig (Junior, Dearborn, Mich.) pitched five innings allowing four hits and runs while striking out two.
THE OPPOSITION
• Anderson went 1-4 tallying four RBIs.
• Newkirk finished 2-for-4 earning three RBIs and scoring one run.
• Wilhelmi closed as he pitched one inning earning the save as he allowed one hit and struck out one.
UP NEXT
The Saints have the day off tomorrow but they return to action on Thursday, March 5th with two games. Game one will be against 7th-ranked Bellevue (Neb.) at 9:30 a.m., EST, and game two will be against Spring Arbor at 1:00 p.m., EST.
