MOUNTAINEER BASEBALL

Eastern Splits with NEO – Streak Ends at 13
Story by Staff – 04/10/09

The Eastern baseball team (21-16-1 / 5-1) defeated Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College via a run rule in game one Thursday, 18-6.  With the victory, the Mountaineers won their 13th consecutive game.  However, in a rain delayed - darkness shortened second game, the Norsemen were able to turn the tables on Eastern and defeat them 13-9.  The two teams will finish their four game series on Saturday.

In game one, the Mountaineers took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.  Bryce Killingsworth led off the inning with a single and then stole second base.  After an error, two wild pitches and a strike out in which the catcher couldn’t handle the ball, Eastern had scored their first two runs.  Casey McCollum hit an RBI double to complete the scoring in the first.  Eastern added another run in the second inning and held the Norsemen scoreless until the 4th inning.  After walking the first two batters of the inning, Zach Garling struck out the next NEO batter.  Then a double and single plated two runs cutting Eastern’s lead to 4-2.  However the Mountaineer offense responded with six runs in the bottom of the 4th inning.  Houston Slemp hit an RBI triple and later Stephen Hagen and Jesse Santo hit back to back home runs in the inning.  Neither team scored in the 5th inning.  NEO scored four in the top of the 6th inning to make the score 10-6, but Eastern erupted for eight runs to win 18-6 in a 6-inning run rule. Santo connected on his second home run of the game and his 13th on the year.  Hagen blasted a grand slam home run to end the game.  It was his 21st home run of the season.

The second game was dominated early by the starting pitcher from NEO, Dan Reid.  The Norsemen took a 7-1 lead into the bottom of the 5th inning and then lightning was seen in the area by the umpires.  After tarping the field, the two teams waited through an hour and half rain delay.  The first pitch after the rain delay was hit over the right field fence by Cameron Green.  However, NEO answered back with five runs in the top of the 6th inning to extend their lead to 12-2.  The Mountaineers started to battle back and try to overcome the 10 run deficit.  Casey McCollum hit a three run home run in the bottom of the 6th and Joe Spring hit into a fielder’s choice to plate another run for Eastern.  Trailing 13-6 in the bottom of the 8th, Eastern was able to score three more runs and cut the lead to 13-9.  However darkness ended the potential comeback for the Mountaineers.  The game had to be cut short after eight innings.

Gasso, J.T.