The Oglethorpe baseball team dropped a pair of games to the No. 12 Berry Vikings Friday at Anderson Field, falling 7-6 in Game 1 and 5-3 in Game 2. The results dropped the Stormy Petrels to 26-4 on the season overall and 16-2 in SAA play.
Game 1 was a see-saw affair. The Petrels took a 2-0 lead in the first on RBI singles from senior catcher Alec Babb and sophomore first baseman George Krivsky, but Berry responded with a pair of runs in the second and three more in the third to take a 5-2 lead. Oglethorpe pulled to within a run with a pair of tallies in the fourth, Babb and Krivsky providing the RBIs again on a single and a fielder's choice, respectively.
With the Vikings up just 5-4, though, they expanded their lead back out with two more runs in the seventh. The Petrels answered those two runs in short order, getting a two-run double from senior designated hitter Alex Featherstone to make it 7-6 in the eighth. However, the Petrels stranded Featherstone at third to end the eighth, then left the bases loaded in the ninth inning.
Starter Colin Stewart suffered the loss for the Petrels, allowing five runs in six hits and three walks over 2 2/3 innings. However, freshman lefty Sam Cohen kept the Petrels in the game with 6 1/3 innings of two-run, eight-hit baseball. He allowed three walks and struck out six Vikings. Sophomore shortstop Jonathan Cruz went 3-for-4 at the plate with a sacrifice bunt, a stolen base and two runs scored.
Berry took a 4-0 lead early in Game 2, scoring a run in the second and three in the third. The Petrels came back with a pair in the fourth, both on a single by Krivsky. With their lead cut in half, Berry responded with a run in the fifth to make it 5-2.
Senior center fielder Chris Keane led off the seventh and final inning with a triple, but the Petrels couldn't get much else going. Krivsky picked up his third RBI of the game when he drove Keane home with a ground out, but Berry secured the 5-3 victory.
Sophomore righty Garrett Parkins suffered the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits over five innings, walking two and striking out six. Keane went 2-for-3 with the run scored in Game 2.
The Petrels will be back in action against the 12th-ranked Vikings on Saturday, when they host Berry in a doubleheader beginning at noon.