Baseball drops series finale to Cardinals 2-5
Baseball could not finish off the four-game sweep of the University of Incarnate World on Sunday, falling 2-5 to the Cardinals.
The loss ended the team’s four-game winning streak. Central Michigan finished its nine-game spring break trip with a 6-3 record.
Both teams were able to plate a run early in the game Sunday and it seemed as if it might turn into a pitcher's duel.
Junior catcher Tyler Huntey tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the third inning with an RBI single, bringing in sophomore outfielder Logan Regnier.
Opportunities on the offensive side of the ball did not produce runs for CMU throughout the game.
Missed opportunities were a problem for the Chippewas as well.
Mistakes made on defense were key in the Chippewas not being able to finish the spring break trip with a victory and a sweep of the four-game series. Two errors committed in the sixth inning gave the Cardinals the lead, scoring two runs in the process.
Batting leadoff was junior Nick Regnier, who went 2-for-5 with two singles. The Chippewas had seven hits as a team, but an influx of base runners did not yield positive results as they stranded nine runners on base.
The pitchers gave their best efforts in the loss, but ultimately could not hold off the opposing bats in the loss.
On the mound and suffering for the Chippewas was sophomore left-hander Adam Aldred. In his six innings of work, Aldred gave up three runs with only one of them earned, walked four batters and gave up six hits. He was relieved by junior Matt Trowbridge, who surrendered two runs in 1 2/3 innings pitched.
Incarnate World recorded 10 hits, though CMU lessened the damage defensively, keeping 12 runners stranded on base.
Central Michigan has had no problem piling on the runs, outscoring Incarnate World 23-10 in the series, especially in its 12-1 victory on March 15.
Logan Regnier leads the team in offense with a .354 batting average, 28 hits and 19 runs. Huntley, the clean-up hitter, leads CMU in RBIs with 19, nearly averaging one RBI per game.
On the mound, senior right-handed pitcher Pat Kaminska leads the Chippewas with a 3-1 record. He has seven earned runs for a 1.85 ERA.
With Sunday’s loss coming at the hands of the Cardinals, the Chippewas will arrive in Mount Pleasant to prepare for their scheduled home opener Tuesday with a 10-10 record on the young season. They will face Madonna at 3:05.
Central Michigan Athletics could not be reached for comment before print time.
