LISLE, Ill. – The Edgewood College baseball team had their chances to replicate yesterday's sweep of a conference leader, but Aurora University and their pitching staff proved too much on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles battled Aurora ace Drew Gay in the first game, but came up on the short end of a 3-2 decision. The Spartans rolled to a 12-2 victory in the nightcap.
Gay and Edgewood College starter Trevor Koehnbattled through a tense pitching duel, with neither allowing a run through the first six innings. Finally, Aurora (13-6, 7-1 NAC) broke the tie with a two-out RBI single from Nick Turner to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead in the seventh. Edgewood College (5-15, 3-3 NAC) loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh but couldn't score, and Aurora tacked on another run in the top of the eighth for a 2-0 lead.
The Eagles finally got to Gay in the bottom of the eighth inning. After Kody Parman and Alex Jaskulski walked, Jake Zadragot aboard on an infield single to load the bases. Ryan O'Dell then jumped on the first pitch for a single to center to score both Parman and Jaskulski and tie the game at two apiece.
However, Aurora loaded the bases against Koehn in the ninth, and reliever Jacob Yellovich walked the Spartans' Tanner Oymaian to force home the decisive run. The Eagles went down in order in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.
O'Dell went 3-for-4 for the game and drove in both of the Eagles' runs. Zadra added two hits of his own. Koehn went 8.1 innings, striking out six in suffering his third loss of the season. Aurora's Gay struck out 10 in a complete game six-hitter.
In the second game, Aurora roughed up Eagle starter Andrew Swanson with six runs in the first three innings. Aurora ultimately led 9-0 after four innings, forcing Edgewood College into catch-up mode. Trailing 10-0 in the bottom of the seventh, the Eagles finally got on the board. With the bases loaded and two outs, Otto Muehlenberg delivered a roller to shortstop that escaped the Spartans' Oymaian. Brad Clark and Marc Ostrowski scored to cut the lead to 10-2. However, the Spartans ended the game one inning later with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth, that the Eagles couldn't answer.
Jaskulski went 2-for-4 in the second game to lead the Eagles' hitters. O'Dell singled in his only official at bat to extend his streak of reaching base safely to 16 straight games. Brock McGinn and Clark came on in relief of Swanson, with Clark going five innings to close the game.
Edgewood College will play three doubleheaders in four days this week, beginning on Thursday against Maranatha Baptist. The Eagles and Crusaders will be sponsoring Camp Earth Fight Huntington's Disease Day beginning at 3:00 p.m. Fans will have the chance to make a purchase or donation in support of Camp Earth's efforts to fight Huntington's Disease.