Baseball winless against Wake Forest, UMass-Lowell
Home runs given up on the mound ultimately cost the Chippewas all three games in their weekend series.
The series was a three-team tournament that featured CMU, the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and the host team Wake Forest at the David F. Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The Chippewas faced UMass-Lowell in two games, losing both. It was a 7-4 on day one and 15-7 on day three. The weekend was split with a matchup against the Demon Deacons on Saturday where they fought hard in a 4-2 loss.
“Andrew Taylor pitched a nice game for us (Saturday) against Wake Forest, but we just have to do a better job in all areas,” said CMU head coach Jordan Bischel. “We’ve struggled to get the big hit, we’ve struggled to close innings with two outs and have made a few mistakes defensively that’ve cost us,” said Bischell.
CMU (3-7) dropped their fourth consecutive game while UML (3-6) got their first win of the month and WFU (11-0) remains one of few unbeaten Division 1 teams.
“Early in the season we just have to play a little bit better, just go back to work tomorrow doing the right things and preparing and if we do that it’ll turn, but it’s a little frustrating team right now,” Bischel said.
Vs. Wake Forest
CMU right-handed phenom Andrew Taylor (1-1) got the start in the headline matchup of the series. Against a powerful Deacons offense Taylor was able to hold them to three runs off four hits (including a two-run homer) and two walks in six innings pitched and racked up a game-high eight strikeouts.
Unfortunately for the Chippewas the two-run home run given up in the fifth inning became the deciding factor. One swing was all it took for the Deacons to push past the Chippewas above average pitching performances.
The scores for the Chippewas came in fifth and final innings. CMU third baseman Aidan Shepardson went 2-4 at the plate with one RBI in the fifth. Second baseman Mario Camilletti notched his first home run of the season in the top of the ninth, in a final attempt for a comeback.
“They’re frustrated, their energy is good, they’re staying behind each other, they’re continuing to try and compete, but they expect to win and right now we’re not doing a whole lot of that,” Bischel said when asked about how the team has reacted to their recent performance.
Vs. UMass-Lowell
In total the Chippewas gave up 22 runs in two games to the River Hawks. 12 of the runs came in off homers. UML hit three over the fence in their first meeting and hit four over the wall in their second game.
Starting pitching was at the core of the Chippewas problems in both games.
In game one right-hander Jordan Patty (0-2) threw 93 pitches in five innings. He struck out five batters but gave up six hits and four walks for five earned runs
Game two saw left-hander Garrett Navarra (0-2) throw 79 pitches in three innings giving up nine earned runs on eight hits and four walks, with two punch-outs. After Navarra was pulled the next three CMU relievers each gave up at least one earned run.
In both games the CMU on-base machine Camilletti recorded four hits, four walks, three runs and an RBI in six at-bats. Center fielder Jakob Marsee combined for four hits, two runs, one walk and one RBI on eight at-bats.
There were only two UMass fielders who did not record a hit in either game, as a team they hit for a combined .356 average in both games on 73 at-bats.
The Chippewas stick on the road for a one-and-done matchup against North Carolina A&T at 4 p.m. on Tuesday in Greensboro, N.C.
