FORT MYERS, Fla. – If it wasn't mandatory to play the sixth inning every game, the Edgewood College baseball team might opt to skip it. Friday morning it was a pair of sixth inning rallies by Bethel University that sent the Eagles to a pair of losses at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. The Royals broke open a one-run game to win 11-5 in the opener and then scored four in the sixth to hold on to an 8-7 victory over the Eagles.
Edgewood College (2-6) scored runs in each of the first three innings of the first game, but the Royals matched the feat to hold a 6-4 lead. Jacob Yellovich had an RBI single in the first inning and Nick Lehner added an RBI double in the second. Garrett Bogucki drove in a run with an RBI groundout in the third, but the Eagles still trailed Bethel University (10-2).
The Eagles trimmed the lead to 6-5 in the top of the sixth when Brodie Engel drove in Pat Manning with a ground ball, but Bethel responded in the bottom of the inning. The Royals scored five runs on three hits off three different Eagle pitchers to assume control of the game.
Edgewood College had six hits, but three of them were doubles by Andrew Lauritzen, Zack Creekmore and Lehner. Danny Appino and Pat Manning had a stolen base apiece. Nate Averill started the game for the Eagles and lasted into the third inning, allowing six earned runs on seven hits. Alex Meister relieved Averill and didn't allow a run over two innings. Elijah Roche, Blake Bieri and AJ Verhage finished out the rest of the game.
In the second game, Edgewood College scored a first running for the seventh time in eight games this season. Lauritzen led off with a double, moved to third on Appino's sacrifice and eventually scored on double play ground ball. The Eagles would trail 4-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth when they took advantage of a couple of Bethel miscues and a timely hit to tie the game. Zack Creekmore delivered a two-out double to score Engel and Appino who had both reached on an error.
However, the sixth inning struck again. The Royals put up five runs on three hits and one Eagle error to take a seemingly safe 8-4 lead through six innings. Edgewood College wasn't quite finished though. After Engel reached on an error Peter Perales singled to put two men on base. Creekmore drove a ball down the right field line to score Engel and Perales came around on a second Bethel error. Then with two outs, Brad Clark drove a ball deep to center field to score pinch runner Jeff Tucker from first base. However, that's where the rally would end, as Bethel starter Joe Zorn coaxed a game-ending ground ball out of Nick Cheaney.
Creekmore turned in a big game going 2-for-4 with a double and four runs batted in. Lauritzen continued his doubles assault with a 2-for-4 and a double. Lauritzen now has nine doubles in eight games, likely placing him among the nation's leaders. Andy Swanson pitched a strong game despite ending up with the loss. Swanson was in command through five until running into trouble in the sixth. Steve Gavin came in to finish the game.
Edgewood College will complete their spring trip tomorrow with a morning doubleheader against Knox College.
