The Oglethorpe baseball team suffered a tough day Saturday at Anderson Field, falling to the visiting Berry Vikings in both games of a doubleheader. The Stormy Petrels lost Game 1, scheduled for nine innings, 12-1 in seven after Berry activated the 10-run rule for the second straight game. They they fought hard in Game 2, scheduled for seven innings, but lost 5-4 in nine. The pair of defeats dropped Oglethorpe to 3-9 on the season overall and 0-3 in SAA play.
In a well-pitched Game 2, neither team scored over the first two innings. It was the Petrels who broke through first, scoring an unearned run on a Berry error in the bottom of the third. The Vikings scored a couple in the top of the fourth to make it 2-1 and the teams traded runs in the fifth. Oglethorpe scored theirs on a sacrifice fly from junior first baseman Alec Babb after sophomore shortstop Billy Finch singled, freshman center fielder Carter Guarino was hit by a pitch, and the two moved up on a double steal. The Petrels took the lead back in the sixth, though, scoring a pair on a wild pitch and a Guarino hit-by-pitch to take a 4-3 lead. They needed to get just three outs to win with senior closer Dylan Childress on the mound.
Berry's leadoff hitter was hit by a pitch and stole second, though, then beat out a play at third base to put runners at the corners with nobody out. The tying run scored on a sacrifice fly, but Childress used a caught stealing and a strikeout to get out of the rest of the frame unscathed.
Oglethorpe stranded a runner at third with two outs in the bottom half of the inning. Then the Vikings went ahead with Childress still in the game in the ninth. The Petrels went down in order in the bottom of the inning.
Left-hander Kyle Babb got the start and threw well, allowing 3 runs on six hits over six innings. Childress suffered the loss after giving up a couple runs on two hits and two walks in three innings.
Things were not as competitive in the first game. The Petrels were no-hit over seven innings by Vikings starter Garrett West. They scored a run in the first on a Viking error and stayed within 2-1 from the first inning into the sixth, as Oglethorpe right-hander Jonathan Haab stayed right with West over the first five frames, allowing 2 runs on four hits while striking out nine. The wheels fell off in the sixth, though, as the Petrels allowed 10 runs on just three hits while Berry brought 16 men to the plate. They were down 12-1 when the dust settled, and were unable to get anything going over the final two innings.
The Petrels managed just three hits total on the day, a couple of them coming off Finch's bat in Game 2. He scored a pair of runs in that game, as well.
Oglethorpe welcomes Pfeiffer to Anderson Field Tuesday and Wednesday. They'll host the Falcons at 5 p.m. Tuesday and 1 p.m. Wednesday.