Utica, Mich. – The Lawrence Technological University baseball team led 4-0 after three innings but the Cornerstone University Golden Eagles put up crooked numbers in each of the last four innings to defeat the Blue Devils 10-7 in a blustery game one.
In game two, a
Trent Matthews 2-run shot tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth but a pair of three-run frames helped Cornerstone pick up the sweep, 9-7, in a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at Jimmy John's Field.
How It Happened:
Game One
- Jackson Walkowiak began the scoring in the bottom of the first with a 2-run home run to right field.
- After the Golden Eagles went down in order in the top of the third, Luke Morrissette's one-out double set the table for Nick Olsen's shot to centerfield to put LTU ahead 4-0.
- The first four runners of the fourth reached base safely for CU as a four-hit frame led to three runs, cutting the LTU deficit to one at 4-3.
- Jay Gallant came on in relief in the fifth and worked around a leadoff single with a pair of strikeouts. Unfortunately, the righty hit the next batter before the CU third basemen took him deep to left to give the Golden Eagles their first lead of the ballgame at 6-4.
- LTU responded in the bottom half of the inning with back-to-back two-out long balls from Olsen and Walkowiak, their seventh and sixth of the season respectively, to tie the game at 6-6.
- A leadoff walk put things in motion right away for CU in the sixth as the next batter stepped in and delivered a two-run bomb to left to retake the lead 8-6.
- The Golden Eagles tacked on a pair of insurance runs via the long ball in the seventh, 10-6, to give themselves some breathing room as LTU was only able to add one back in the seventh, falling 10-7.
Inside the Numbers:
- Jeremy Flattery got the start for the Blue Devils but didn't factor in the decision; 4 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 Ks, BB
- Gallant came on in relief and took the loss for LTU; 1 2/3 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 2 K's, 2 BB
- The 3-4-5 hitters (Olsen, Walkowiak and Jake Llaneza) for LTU combined to go 6-for-9 with 4 HRs, 7 RBIs, 5 R, BB
- Home Runs: LTU 4, CU 3
Game Two
- After a scoreless first three innings, LTU got on the board first in the fourth as Walkowiak began the inning with a single before stealing second and advancing to third on an errant throw by the catcher. Two batters later, a Trent Reed sacrifice fly to right brought home Walkowiak to put LTU ahead 1-0.
- The Golden Eagles responded right away in the fifth due in part to a leadoff walk that was followed by a double to tie the game at 1-1.
- The next CU batter singled to put them ahead 2-1 before a sacrifice fly to left gave the Golden Eagles a three-run fifth inning.
- The Blue Devils used some two-out magic in the sixth as Matthews followed a Jason Erhardt walk with a blast to left field, his second of the season, to knot the game back up, 3-3.
- CU once again answered quickly as a single and a walk to start the seventh chased Blue Devils starter, Dominic Puccetti.
- Kent Madek came on in relief but was greeted with a single and a double as the Golden Eagles plated three runs to go ahead 6-3 heading to the bottom half of the seventh.
- CU put up another three-spot in the eighth on two hits, a walk, and a hit by pitch as it held a 9-3 lead after the top of the eighth.
- LTU would put up three of their own in the bottom half of the frame as Olsen launched his third dinger of the day, this one to right-center, to cut the deficit back to three, 9-6.
- The Blue Devils tried to mount a rally in the ninth as Reed started the inning with a leadoff double down the left-field line.
- Sam DeKuiper stepped in next and brought home Reed with a single, making it 9-7.
- The Golden Eagles would make a pitching change and after a groundout, the comeback effort would come up short as the Blue Devils lined into a double play to end the game.
Inside the Numbers:
- Puccetti got the start on the hill; 6 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 7 BB, 14 Ks, as he was saddled with the loss
- DeKuiper and Walkowiak wen: 2-for-4, RBI, BB each
Lawrence Tech heads to Indiana Tech on Saturday, April 16
th for a 1 pm WHAC doubleheader.
