Golden Eagles baseball dropped a pair of close games in a doubleheader at Christendom College in Front Royal, VA, on Sunday, losing by scores of 3-1 and 10-9. The losses dropped the team to 5-17 on the year.
KSU Tusc fell in the opener of a two-game Sunday set despite having a 9-8 hitting advantage over the Crusaders. Kyle Shockley, Scottie Sauernheimer and Braydon Maine each had two hits for the navy and gold.
Christendom took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, but the Eagles responded with a run of their own in the third to tie the game at 1-1. Shockley reached base on a bunt single and scored from second on a Josh Leonard single into left and the Eagles proceeded to load the bases. Unfortunately, two consecutive outs stopped the KSU rally as they left the bases juiced after collecting three hits.
With two outs and two runners on via singles by Andrew Powell and Sauernheimer in the top in the top of the fourth, consecutive strikeouts ended another Eagles rally and stranded two more runners.
Christendom found some two-out lightning in the bottom of the inning and scored two runs via an error and two singles to take a 3-1 lead heading into the fifth.
In the sixth, KSU Tusc found the same two-out charge and got runners on base via a fielding error and a Shockley single into left field. The threat however, was snuffed out by a pick off for the final out. The first two Eagles were retired in the top of the seventh, before Brogan Burcher drew a walk and Maine singled into center, but both were stranded left on a game ending strikeout.
KSU left nine runners on base and fanned nine times in the opening game.
The two teams erupted for a total of 19 runs in the second game, with Christendom winning by scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs for a 10-9 victory.
A fielder's choice and base hit gave the Crusaders a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, and they added five more runs in the bottom on the third for a 5-0 lead. It took the Eagles until the fourth frame to get their first hit of the game.
Maine singled on an 0-2 count and and took second on an error by the first baseman. Powell followed with a walk and Josh Leonard singled to center to bring Maine home with the Eagles first run. After two strikeouts, Shockley lined the first pitch over the centerfielder's head for a triple and brought home two more runs as the Eagles trimmed the deficit to 5-3.
The hosts scored a single tally in the fourth before the KSU Tusc bats heated up again in the top of the fifth inning when they tied the game at 8-8. Leadoff singles by Caleb Campbell and Saurenheimer gave Tusc two baserunners who moved up a base on a wild pitch. A Maine sacrifice fly out to right field scored Campbell and allowed Sauernheimer to take third, who then scored on a passed ball to close the Eagles to within 8-5.
Powell walked and Leonard swatted a single into right and took second on the throw as Powell came around to score. Caleb Salgado walked and with two outs, Shockley lined a double into left field for two more RBIs and knotted the score at 8-8 before being left at second.
Eighteen of the next 20 batters failed to reach base as the game moved into extra innings.
Christendom threatened to win the game in the home half of the eighth. With one out they had runners on second and third after a walk and a double, however a strikeout and groundout ended the inning.
Campbell led off the Eagles ninth with a walk and swiped second. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Sauernheimer. Maine lined a single into center to put the Eagles ahead 9-8 and then stole second. Powell reached safely on an error by the right fielder that moved Maine to third. A steal put Powell at second and two runners in scoring position, but a line out and strikeout sullied any further chances.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, a bunt single put a Christendom runner on first. He took second on a wild pitch and scored the game tying run on a groundout to short. There were two outs when a hit by pitch put another Crusader on base, followed by a single and intentional walk loaded the bases. A first-pitch pinch hit single to left ended the game.
Shockley, batting in the number seven spot for the Eagles, did much of the heavy lifting with two extra base hits (double, triple) and four RBIs. He was 2-4 while Maine (2-3) and Leonard (2-5) had two singles each. Maine also had two stolen bases and two RBIs while Leonard scored twice.
On Wednesday, the Eagles host Geneva College in a single 9-inning game at TCCHS. First pitch is at 4:30 pm.
Scottie Sauernheimer was 2/3 with a run scored against the Crusaders on Sunday.
Caleb Campbell scored twice and had the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth in the second game.
(Photos by Rob Brindley)