Box Score (AUBURNDALE, Fla.) - The Thomas More College baseball team dropped a heartbreaker today (Monday, March 7, 2016) 14-12 in 10 innings to Bridgewater (Va.) College on the first day of the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational at the Lake Myrtle Complex in Auburndale, Florida.
Both teams came into the contest receiving votes in the latest D3baseball.com poll. Bridgewater improved to 8-4, while it was the first game of the year for the Saints and they are now 0-1.
After two and a half scoreless innings, the Saints got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third. Junior Casey Metzger (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) led off the inning with a solo home run and later in the inning senior Donovan Pogue (Sharonville, Ohio/St. Xavier) connected on a three-run home run giving the Saints a 4-0 lead. Bridgewater would get on the board with three runs in the fifth making it 4-3. That would end senior Brandon Humphrey's (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) day on the mound as he went five innings, giving up three runs on nine hits, striking out six and walking two. The Saints would get two of those runs right back in the bottom half of the inning as senior Marcus Woelfel (Harrison, Ohio/Harrison) scored on a wild pitch and sophomore Bailey Abbatiello (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) would score on a two out double by junior Ben Kenning (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) making the score 6-3 after five.
Junior Josh Cain (Cold Springs, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) was first out of the bullpen first and gave up two runs in the top of the sixth, but the Saints would answer with three in the bottom half thanks to an RBI single by Woelfel scoring freshman Sam Hauer (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) and a two-run single by sophomore Ben Laumann (Cincinnati,Ohio/Oak Hills) scoring senior Zach Fardo (Alexandria, Ky./Bishop Brossart) and Metzger. After six, it was Thomas More 9-5. Cain would go back out for the seventh, but leave with two outs and men on second and third after a walk, single and a wild pitch. Sophomore Noah Frantz (Crestwood, Ky./South Oldham) came in, and after getting ahead 0-2, gave up a full count two-run double that closed the gap to 9-7. He would pick the runner off at second to end the inning. The Saints would answer again this time on a wild pitch that enabled Hauer to cross the plate and give the Saints a 10-7 lead. Freshman Ethan Kramer (Sunman, Ind./East Central) would enter the game in the top of the eighth and after striking out the first batter, gave up a walk, single, a two-run triple and another walk before being pulled for freshman Joshua Boeckmann (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder). Boeckmann struck out the first batter he faced, but hit the next batter loading the bases. Junior Ken Ruberg (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) was then brought in from the bullpen and struck out the pinch hitter leaving the bases loaded and preserving the one-run lead at 10-9. The Saints threatened in the bottom of the eighth, but a line out double play to short ended the threat.
The top of the ninth started out with a lead-off strike out, but then three walks in a row loaded them up with one out. A three-run double by Howell gave Bridgewater their first lead of the day at 12-10. Ruberg would settle down striking out the next two batters, but the damage had been done.
The Saints battled back in the ninth with a lead-off walk by Hauer, followed by an error allowing Fardo to reach base make it first and second with no outs. Metzger then ripped a single which scored sophomore pinch hitter Ben Shroyer (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins) to cut the deficit to one. Woelfel then executed a sacrifice bunt which moved freshman pinch runner Chase Whitaker (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) up to third and Metzger to second. Abbatiello was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Laumann would hit a sacrifice fly to right scoring Whitaker and moving Metzger to third. Pogue was intentionally walked to load the bases once again, but the threat ended with Kenning flying out to center. The Saints had tied it 12-12 to head to extra innings.
Sophomore Jayson Essell (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) entered the game and on the first batter he faced, the Saints had their first fielding error of the day. The next batter failed to bunt the runner over as he popped up to freshman Tyler Harley (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) behind the plate. The next batter hit an RBI double which made it 13-12. A wild pitch and a walk made it first and third with one out. A sacrifice fly scored the runner from third to make it 14-12. The Saints avoided further damage as the runner at first was thrown out attempting to steal second.
The Saints, once again facing a two run deficit, were able to load the bases after a ground out by freshman Sean Lawrence (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton), a base hit by Harley, a pop out by freshman Blaise Ostertag (Burlington, Ky./Conner) a base hit by Metzger and a base hit by freshman Jacob Whitford (Fort Thomas, Ky./Highland). However, the comeback fell short as Abbatiello popped up to second and the Saints fell in their opener 14-12 in 10 innings.
Thomas More was led at the plate by Pogue, who was two-for-five with a home run and three runs batted-in, Hauer, who was two-for-four with two runs scored and a double and Metzger, who was five-for-six with two runs scored and two RBI. Laumann finished the day with three RBI.
Essell suffered the loss, while Ruberg had a blown save.
The Saints return to the diamond tomorrow when they take on Central (Iowa) College at 12 p.m. in Winter Haven, Florida.
