CHICAGO, Ill. – The Edgewood College baseball team generated plenty of offense, but their defense let them down in a 12-7 loss to the University of Chicago at J. Kyle Anderson Field. The Eagles out-hit the Maroons 15-9, but were undone by five errors which led to five unearned runs for Chicago.
Edgewood College (7-11) trailed 4-0 in the third inning, when reigning NACC Position Player of the Week Zack Creekmore stroked a two-run triple to right field to score Brodie Engel and Andrew Lauritzen. That would be just the start of a pair of outstanding performances for both Creekmore and Lauritzen.
Creekmore would smash another two-run triple in the fifth inning to bring his season runs batted in to a new career-high 24 RBIs, just 18 games into the season. Creekmore had 20 runs batted in last year and 47 total for his career heading into this senior season. The Winthrop Harbor, Ill. native finished the game 3-for-5 to bring his season batting average to .439, second highest in the NACC.
Lauritzen didn't have any extra bases, but singled in all five of his at-bats, becoming just the eighth Eagle in school history to record five base hits in a single game. He joins teammate Creekmore and current assistant coach Ryan O'Dell on that list. Lauritzen didn't get a sixth at-bat and a chance to tie school record holder Ryan Siebert who had six hits against Ripon College on April 22, 2007.
The Eagles other runs came in the eighth inning when Nick Lehner scored on a wild pitch, preceding Callen Gavic's RBI single to bring Brad Clark home from third. Then again in the ninth when Lauritzen also scored on a wild pitch.
Adam Eck started the game on the mound for the Eagles and lasted three innings allowing three hits and three earned runs. Elijah Roche came on to start the fourth inning and also allowed three earned runs in three innings. Steve Gavin closed out the game allowing one earned run and recording the Eagles only strikeout on the day.
Edgewood College will return to NACC play with a pair of key doubleheaders this weekend. The Eagles host Concordia University Chicago at Stampfl Field on Saturday, and then travel to face Dominican University in Schaumburg, Illinois on Sunday afternoon.
