JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Spalding University baseball team split their double header at MacMurray losing game one, 6-3, but bounced back to win the game two, 3-1. With the split the Golden Eagles move do 18-9 on the season and 8-4 in conference play.
In the opener, the Golden Eagles committed three errors contributing to four MacMurray runs in the 6-3 loss.
Nic Chafin and
Matt Harper both tallied a hit and an RBI, while
Korie Vire was the only Golden Eagle to finish with multiple hits going 2-for-4.
Aaron Mitchell (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season allowing five runs, three earned on three hits, while striking out and walking three batters.
MacMurray jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning, three runs coming after a
Blake Patterson error with two outs helped extend the inning. Chafin cut the deficit to three runs in the third with a solo homer. However, Mac answered in the bottom of the inning when Drew Johnson scored on a wild pitch, and added another run in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead into the sixth inning.
Korie Vire scored SU's first run of the sixth, doubling to lead off the inning and scored on a wild pitch after advancing on a
Kam Bruner fly out to center field.
Matt Harper cut it to three driving in
Brad Speek with an RBI single, but the SU rally was halted when
Nolan Simpkins popped up to first base for the third out of the inning, and SU went three-up, three-down in the seventh to lose, 6-3.
Despite dropping game one, the Golden Eagles rallied to win the final game of the weekend, 3-1.
Kam Bruner, Dillion Sievert and
Austin Drake all finished with one hit and one RBI, and Chafin went 2-for-4 with one run scored.
Kyle Olliges earned the win improving to 4-1 on the season limiting the Highlanders to one run, on two hits, while striking out 11 batters and walking three.
Mac scored their only run of the game in the third inning when a Brendan Pesko ground out scored Nick Balkenbusch to give the Highlanders a 1-0 lead.
Kam Bruner singled bringing
Nic Chafin across the dish to tie the game at 1-1 in the sixth inning. Dillion Sievert and
Austin Drake scored SU's final two runs on solo homers in the seventh inning as the Golden Eagles closed the weekend with a 3-1 win.
The Golden Eagle Nine will be back in action at home Wednesday, April 13 taking on Thomas More College; 4:00 pm EST at Derby City Field.
