GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Siena Heights baseball started WHAC conference play on Monday, March 21st, on the road against Cornerstone University. Unfortunately, the Saints fell in both games to the Golden Eagles. Game one ended 2-0, favoring Cornerstone, while game two saw a final score of 5-4 after a late push from the Saints.
Game 1: Siena Heights 0, Cornerstone 2 – 7 innings
Leading the Saints during game one was Kenny Layman, who batted .500. Parker Mabe and Cameron Hammer each went 1-for-3 from the batter's box. Parker Swartz (L, 0-4) pitched six innings for SHU, facing 28 batters while only giving up two earned runs and striking out two opponents.
The Golden Eagles scored once in the first and left two on base thanks to tough defense from Siena. The Saints would continue to pressure Cornerstone with solid defense and saw a three-up-three-down inning in the fourth.
The home team would score their game's final run during the bottom of the sixth, making the score 2-0. None of the six batters that made it on base for Siena would cross home plate, leaving the score 2-0 in the seventh.
Game 1: Siena Heights 4, Cornerstone 5– 9 innings
Brad South (3-for-5) led SHU with three runs in game two. Cole VanWasshenova added his name to the books, batting 2-for-3 while scoring once and collecting an RBI. Adam Wilding (2-for-3) helped the Saints by tallying three RBIs. Haydn Smith, Kenny Layman, and Chris Winkelman added one hit apiece. Chase Molnar (L, 0-1) started the game seeing action in four innings to face 21 batters while he sat down three. Zach Bloom faced 15 batters in four innings of work. Bloom allowed no hits while on the mound.
Siena crossed home plate first, thanks to an RBI single from VanWasshenova that brought South home. The Golden Eagles responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the first to tie the game at one run each. However, SHU experienced a drought in the next four innings while the home team scored twice in the second and fourth to build a 5-1 lead.
Siena Heights put runners on base in the 6th-inning, allowing Wilding to crack a single to center field and collect an RBI as South crossed home plate for the Saints' second run. A solid defensive showing from the visiting team resulted in only three opposing batters stepping into the batter's box in the bottom of the seventh. The Saints fought to close the gap by adding two runs to the board in the eight. Both Vanwasshenova and South were brought home by a double from Wilding hit down the rightfield line. Unfortunately, the rally fell a run shy as the final score showed a 5-4 result in favor of Cornerstone.
Up Next
Goshen College comes to town for a Wednesday night game on March 23rd. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
