Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
FOND DU LAC, Wis. - The Edgewood College baseball team had rolled through the first eight games of their Northern Athletics Conference schedule with wins by big margins. On Monday, at windy, chilly Herr-Baker Field Marian University edged the Eagles with a pair of wins by the smallest of margins. The Sabres claimed a doubleheader sweep, winning 7-6 in 11 innings and 8-7 in 10 innings.
The Eagles jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first game. In the first, Alex Berta hit a sacrifice fly to score Cory McCullick. The next batter, Tim Barry, doubled to score Steve Binder from second base. Mitch Mogensen and Matt Werner led off the second with a pair of singles and scored when McCullick hit a two-run double.
The Sabres finally got to Eagle starter Scott Winters in the fourth inning, plating five runs on seven hits to take a 5-4 lead. Marian University (11-7, 6-2 NAC) added another run in the fifth and could have done more damage, but Glenn Nowell relieved Winters with the bases loaded and got a strikeout and a ground out to end the threat.
The score remained 6-4 until the eighth when the Eagles finally tied the game. Dan Gugel walked and later scored on a Sabre error. Cory McCullick then evened the game with a sacrifice fly to score Mogensen from third. However, that would be the end of the scoring for the Eagles, as Nick Reschke won the game with an RBI single in the 11th inning.
Mogensen and Treye Dennison each went 2-for-5 for the game, while McCullick drove in three runs. Nowell was the hard-luck loser despite allowing just seven hits and no earned runs over five and two-thirds innings.
Although losing game one was tough, it's probably the nightcap that Eagles will look back on as a lost opportunity. Edgewood College (17-8, 8-2 NAC) led 6-2 after six innings, but gave up six runs over the final four innings, including two tying runs in the ninth and the winning run in the 10th.
The Eagles tallied runs in five of the first six innings, getting RBI singles from Berta, Dennison and Barry and an RBI groundout from McCullick. After the Sabres cut the lead to 6-5 the Eagles appeared to add an important insurance run in the top of the ninth. Werner's bases loaded ground ball was mishandled by Sabre third baseman Ryan Fisher, allowing Barry to score. The Eagles still had bases loaded with one out, but couldn't generate another run.
The Sabres had back-to-back doubles to open the ninth and cut the Eagle lead to 7-6. Then after loading the bases, an Adam Victorn wild pitch allowed Tim Holtz to score the tying run. In the 10th, Fisher reached on a fielder's choice and eventually moved to third when Holtz was hit by a pitch. He then scored the winning run on Jeremy Bartelt sacrifice fly to center field.
Barry went 3-for-6 and Berta went 2-for-5 to lead the team in the second game. McCullick notched his NAC-leading 24th steal in 24 attempts, giving him 67 stolen bases for his career and moving him within two of Karl Reynolds school record of 69. Victorn suffered the loss in relief of starter Kyle Lode and Nathan Marlowe. Lode went six strong innings giving up three runs and striking out three Sabre hitters.
Edgewood College will have five days to ponder their setback as their next games aren't until the weekend. The Eagles face defending NAC regular season champion Benedictine University on Saturday in Lisle, Ill. and then return home for a Sunday doubleheader with 28th-ranked Aurora University at Stampfl Field. Sunday's games can be heard live on EdgewoodCollegeEagles.com.
