FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Heidelberg University baseball team struggled offensively on Tuesday in a 15-5 loss to Skidmore College at the Lee County Player Development Complex. The Student Princes fell into an early hole and were never able to climb back, as Skidmore pulled away in the middle innings.

After both teams stranded runners in scoring position in the first inning, the Thoroughbreds opened the scoring in the bottom of the second with four runs to put the Berg in an early deficit.

Heidelberg was held scoreless again in the top of the third before Skidmore tacked on one more in the bottom of the frame to make the score 5-0.

The Student Princes finally found some offense in the top of the fourth when back-to-back doubles byAdam Hershberger and Parker Fronk scored the Berg's first run of the game. Evan Long later plated another run on an RBI groundout as HU scored two in the inning to cut the Skidmore lead down to three.

The bottom of the fourth was where the game got out of hand, however, as the Thoroughbreds scored seven runs off of the Berg bullpen in the inning, including a grand slam to make it a 12-2 deficit for HU.

Skidmore tacked on three more in the sixth inning before the Berg finally got some offense going in the eighth. An RBI double by Cory Jacobs to go along with an RBI single off the bat of Zach Cleaver made it a 15-4 game.

After the second consecutive scoreless inning of relief by Ben Sniezek, Heidelberg scored one in the ninth on an RBI single byClayton Wielinski, but it was too little, too late as Skidmore won by a final score of 15-5.

Sam Ankrom (0-1) took the loss on the mound in his first start of the season for the Berg. Heidelberg pitchers combined to issue 12 walks in the defeat.

UP NEXT

Heidelberg will return to action tomorrow, March 16th, when they take on Keystone at 11:00 a.m. in Port Charlotte.