MOUNTAINEER BASEBALL

Eastern Splits with Seminole on Wednesday
Story by Staff – 04/16/09

The Eastern baseball team (24-17-1 / 8-2) split a double header with Seminole State College Wednesday.  The Mountaineers lost the first game by a score of 6-3, but they turned the tables in game two 13-9.

In game one, the Mountaineer offense was slowed down for the first time in the past 17 games.  Seminole’s starting pitcher Terrance Jackson kept Eastern hitters off balance for six innings.  After being shut out in the first four innings, Eastern scored three runs in the 5th.  Tommie Johnson hit a double that scored Justin Klusak for the Mountaineers first run.  The Mountaineers plated their next two runs after a strike out that the catcher couldn’t handle the pitch.  The first run scored on the passed ball and then after a delayed throw to 1st base, the second run came home while no one was covering home plate.  Houston Slemp went 2-2 with a walk and Johnson was 2-3.  Those were the only four hits for Eastern in the game.  It marked the first time in the past 17 games in which the Mountaineers failed to score eight or more runs. 

In game two, Eastern jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead after an inning and a half.  Tommie Johnson scored on a two out single by Jesse Santo in the 1st inning.  In the 2nd inning Eastern plated three runs by a Brady White single, Tommie Johnson sacrifice fly and a Jeff Scardino sacrifice bunt.  Seminole closed the gap to 4-2 in the 3rd inning and neither team scored in the 4th.  Eastern touched home plate six times in the top of the 5th inning.  White and Justin Klusak drew bases loaded walks and then Johnson stepped to the plate and blasted an opposite field grand slam home run.  Trailing 10-3, Seminole kept battling back.  They scored a single run in the 5th and a pair of runs in the 6th and 7th innings to close the gap to 10-8.  In the top of the 9th inning, Scardino scored two runs with a triple to right center field.  He later scored on a wild pitch to put Eastern up 13-8.  Seminole scored two more runs in the 9th to make the final score 13-9.  Jimmy Johnson picked up his third win of the year in five innings of work.  He allowed five runs on five hits.  Scardino picked up his third save of the year by pitching the final four innings.  Cameron Green continued to swing a hot bat for Eastern.  Green was 3-3 with a walk and a hit by pitch.  He also scored three times.

Weather permitting, Eastern and Seminole will square off again on Saturday.  The 1:00 pm double header will be played in Wilburton.

NOTE: Next week’s games against Connors State College on Wednesday and Thursday have been changed.  Eastern was originally scheduled to travel to Warner on Wednesday and then play at home on Thursday.  The venues have been switched.  Eastern will host Connors at 1:00 pm on Wednesday and then travel to Warner and play at 7:00 pm on Thursday.