Crusaders Sweep Sentinels in Home Double Header

Front Royal, VA – Christendom baseball (3-8) swept a double-header against the Patrick Henry College Sentinels this past Thursday, 3/21, by the scores of 9-4 and 3-1.

Game 1 – In the first inning freshman Matt O'Hara (Freshman/ Hersey, PA) took the mound in his first college start for the Crusaders, Patrick Henry's top of the lineup tagged him for two early runs on a couple of doubles to right field. However, in the bottom half of the first, the Crusaders answered on a solo homerun from Thomas Sullivan (Senior/ Omaha, NE), his first of the season. Christendom added another two in the second inning to take a narrow 3-1 lead. But The Sentinels would continue to put pressure on the Christendom defense, consistently creating traffic on the basepaths. Although allowing several baserunners, O'Hara performed well under the pressure, getting a key strikeout to escape a bases loaded jam in the third. Christendom pitcher, Patrick Brezinsky (Senior/ Montrose CO) entered the game with a 4-2 lead going into the fourth inning. After a scoreless fourth, Brezinsky got into trouble in the fifth allowing 2-runs, tying the game. T. Sullivan came into relief and got the Crusaders out of the inning, maintaining the 4-4 tie. Christendom's bats responded in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings, scoring a combined 5 runs to take a comfortable 9-4 lead. The Crusaders cruised through the top of the seventh to claim the 9-4 victory.

At the plate- Gus Coleman (Sophomore/ Milwaukee, WI) , M. O'Hara, Joseph Romero (Freshman/ Valley Center, CA), and T. Sullivan all managed hits and RBIs to fuel the Crusader bats.

Game 2 – On a chilly March evening, game two kicked off with lots of first inning action. Patrick Henry scored a run on an RBI single off starter G. Coleman to open the top of the first. In the bottom of the inning, T. Sullivan drove in Luke Roman (Sophomore/ Lilburn, GA) on a sac fly to right field to tie the game at 1-1. Later in the inning, George Storey (Freshman/ Amissville, VA) drove in the go ahead run, putting Christendom up 2-1. G. Coleman rolled through the Sentinels' lineup over the next two innings. In the fourth inning, after transferring fields due to a malfunction with the stadium lights, Patrick Henry was threatening with the bases loaded, but G. Coleman slammed the door, striking out the last batter of the inning. Over four innings of work, G. Coleman gave up a single run on 5 hits and struck out 6. In the bottom of the fourth, after singles from T. Sullivan and G. Storey, the Crusaders tried to blow it open with a bases loaded and no one out opportunity. But a strikeout and weak contact left Christendom scoreless in the frame. Skuba (Senior/ Sugarloaf, PA) relieved G. Coleman in the fifth inning. In his three innings of work, he mowed through Patrick Henry's bats, racking up 4 K's, no walks and allowing just one hit. He earned the save for the Crusaders as they went on to win a close 3-1 game.

Defense – Christendom's lights out pitching and defense won them the game. For the first time this season, the Crusaders were errorless in the field, and posted a season low 2 walks over 7 innings on the mound. G. Coleman earned his first win of the year, supported by J. Skuba's first save of the year.

Up Next – The Crusaders take on ESAC opponent Central Penn on Wednesday, 3/27 at home. First pitch at 4pm.