PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – The Adrian College baseball team has scored 20 or more runs in back-to-back games for the first time in school history with a 23-13 win in 11 innings over Capital University at the Snowbird Classic on Thursday, Mar. 1. The Bulldogs improved to 10-13 all-time versus Capital and did so in a wild back-and-forth contest under the hot sun of Florida's west coast.
The game started calmly as Adrian took a 3-2 lead after three innings. Adrian starter Brent Greenwood threw 3.1 innings and allowed six hits and five earned runs. He was relieved by Craig Steadman who went the next 1.1 innings. Capital scored three times in the bottom of the fourth to take a 5-3 lead. Adrian answered back with three runs in the top of the fifth to regain a 6-5 lead. Dom Pompey had a two-run double and Sam Fischer drew an RBI walk in the inning. Each guy would finish the game with four runs driven in.
Capital chased Steadman in the bottom of the fifth and Sean Hartman recorded the final out of the inning after the Crusaders took an 8-6 lead. Adrian scored six runs in the top of the sixth to take a 12-8 lead. Fischer delivered the big blow with a bases-clearing triple with two outs.
Capital then scored the game's next five runs with a single one in the sixth and two runs each in the seventh and eighth. Eric Sims entered in the eighth for the Bulldogs and got off to a shaky start as he walked the first two hitters he faced including a bases-loaded walk. He then closed the door with a flyout to center after Capital took a 13-12 lead heading into the top of the ninth.
The Bulldogs were staring down their first loss of the season after the first two batters struck out to start the ninth. Kyle Strawn doubled to center and Ryan Sigler pinch ran with the potential tying run 180 feet away. Sigler took third on a wild pitch and Pompey struck out swinging, but the third strike got away and Sigler scored while Pompey advanced to first.
Sims really began to settle in during the bottom of the ninth. He retired the Crusaders in order which started a span of nine straight batters that he got out to end the game and pick up his first win of the season. The Bulldogs went down with just one base runner in the top of the 10th which set the stage for an amazing top of the 11th.
The Bulldogs scored the eventual game-winning run on a wild pitch with the bases loaded which plated Cody Meyer. After that it was Mitch Sroka with a two-run triple followed by a Garrett Green double. Jamey Sackett had an RBI triple and Andrew DeLuca followed with an RBI single. Adrian loaded the bases later in the inning and R.J. Rios cleared them with a double to center for three RBI.
The four-hour, 10-minute contest featured 36 runs and 31 hits. Adrian finished with 16 hits and stranded 13 runners on base. Adrian had eight extra-base hits in the game and Patrick Jackson of the Crusaders had the game's only home run. DeLuca, Strawn, Pompey, Green and Fischer all had two hits for the Bulldogs. Meyer scored four times and walked three times.
The two teams will have little rest as they play again tomorrow morning at 10 AM. Josh Burd is scheduled to make his second start of the spring trip.