Offenses Highlight Eventful Senior Day
Apr 26, 2015
DUBUQUE, Iowa - Despite the University of Dubuque baseball team racking up 22 total hits, they dropped both games to Coe, 7-2 and 8-4, as all four seniors took the field on Senior Day in their final home series of the year.
Game One
BOX SCORE
Spartans Fall 7-2
The Spartans (11-23, 6-16 Iowa Conference) offense couldn't get going after managing one run a piece in the fourth and seventh innings. Spartan hitters, two through five, each totaled one hit, but couldn't string together a run when needed. UD managed just two runs on eight hits in the seven-inning affair.
The Spartans threatened first after catcher James Workman was thrown out at home on a close call in the bottom of the first. Afterwards, UD remained scoreless and faced a 6-0 deficit before plating their first run in the fourth and struggled to contain a Kohawk offense that collected 15 hits, seven of them for extra bases.
The Kohawks (24-11, 16-10 Iowa Conference) utilized three of those extra base hits, all doubles, in the second inning as they plated four runs to take the early lead off senior starter Josh Eastman (2-7). The Edgerton, Wis. native toughed out a 6.0 inning outing after surrendering seven earned runs and 14 hits while striking out five.
Spartan senior Chris Fields relieved Eastman to start the seventh and pitched a scoreless inning while allowing one hit and striking out one.
Game Two
BOX SCORE
Spartans Fall 8-4
The UD bats came alive after posting 14 hits in the nightcap. It wasn't enough to overcome a five-error day in the field. UD's five errors, each by different players, led to four unearned runs for the Kohawks and provided the final margin of victory.
Seven of the nine spots had hits as second baseman Gaetano Florio and the DH Michael Salazar each had three hits with Florio earning two RBIs and Salazar bringing home one RBI.
UD once again dug themselves an early hole after facing a 5-0 deficit going into the bottom of the fifth. A pair of one-run innings and a two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth fell short with the tying run on deck.
In an odd occurrence over the course of both games, three of the four Kohawk pitchers balked. In game one, the Kohawk starter Jack Hoffmann balked, and continued to throw towards home. Third basemen Dalton Garst subsequently hit a single and was later tagged out in a double play while walking back towards home after touching first. Garst intended to resume his at-bat because of the called balk. A live ball was the call in a rare play.
The Spartans take on Coe in the final home doubleheader starting tomorrow, Monday, April 27 at 1:00 p.m.
NOTES: A brief ceremony was held prior to the start of the doubleheader to honor the four Spartan seniors and their parents: RHP Josh Eastman, RHP Chris Fields, OF Austin Monfross, and OF Michael Riordan.
