AUBURNDALE, Fla. –
Jamie Faber scored in two runs on a double in game two of the doubleheader but the Tigers of Wittenberg University prevailed in the doubleheader with scores of 2-0 and 4-3 respectively at the RussMatt Invitational Friday afternoon.
In game one, pitchers
Seth Roberts and Zach Finke dueled as each team hindered their opponents at the plate. Roberts went six innings and struck out two while Finke tallied a complete game shutout, going seven innings, striking out two. In addition, Finke retired 10 batters in a row between the third and sixth inning.
Finke was tested in the top of the third as
Jason Cohen led the inning with an infield single. After a sacrifice bunt by
Anders Goetz and a groundout by
Dylan Katz-Wicks, Cohen was able to reach third base. However,
Sam Caruso could not reach base as he grounded out to David Moore to get Finke out of the jam.
The Tigers offense did all their damage in the third as Brandon Jordan led off with a single to the left side. After a stolen base, Brandon Reaman was able to score Jordan to open the scoring. Reaman was able to advance to second on a wild pitch by Roberts, which was followed by a RBI double by Graham Wolff.
Wittenberg's pitching continued to induce groundouts as Finke scattered two hits in the last two innings to earn the complete game shutout win. Roberts was given the loss as he drops to 0-1.
In game two, the Tigers were able to tally a run early off
Matt Yonta in the first as Zac Wilson led off the game with a single. With consecutive bases stolen, Reaman was able to get Wilson home on a sacrifice fly to left field to give Wittenberg the 1-0 lead.
Jordan Hitt pitched the first three innings surrendering just two singles and one walk. In the fourth inning, Hitt found himself in a jam.
David Peretti was able to force a one out walk. Vince Esposito followed up with a single to the right side to advance Peretti.
Eric Egan was able to load bases by drawing a walk. Hitt was called for a balk on the mound, which advanced all the base runners and gave the Dutchmen their first run. Faber gave Union the 3-1 lead temporarily as he shot a double down the leftfield line as Esposito and Egan was able to score.
Yonta could not hold back the Tigers offense as Michael Beedy and Wilson reached base on a double followed by an RBI single.
Chris Pignatello was opted to relive Yonta but Pignatello could not hold back the Tigers offense. Reaman reached first on a single and was followed by a RBI single by Grant Goodwin. Pignatello settled in, was able to strikeout out Tyler Grau, and picked off Goodwin to retire the side.
The Dutchmen could not get any offense going as HItt was able to tally four strikeouts through six retired batters in the following two innings. Union was able to get the game-tying runner on base in the bottom of the seventh as James Mulpeter was able to leg out an infield single up the middle with two outs. Katz-Wicks followed up with a walk. However, the rally fell short, as
Sam Caruso could not advance the runner as he flied to center to end the game.
Hitt tallied his second win of the season, improving to 2-0. Pignatello was tagged with the loss, dropping his first decision of the season.
The Dutchmen will continue their competition at the RussMat Invitational as they take on New York state rival St. John Fisher in a nine-inning competition tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
GAME 1
Union 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1
Wittenburg 0 0 2 0 0 0 X 2 6 2
E - Barretto(1); D. Moore(1); T. Grau. DP - Wittenburg 2. LOB - Union 4; Wittenburg 4. 2B - B.
Reaman(1); G. Wolff(1). SH - Goetz(1). SB - B. Jordan(1).
Strikeouts - Peretti; Esposito; T Hutchinson 2.
GAME 2
Wittenburg 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 4 9 0
Union 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 5 3
E - Egan(1); Pignatello 2(2). LOB - Wittenburg 6; Union 5. 2B - T Hutchinson(1); M. Beedy(1);
Faber(1). SF - B. Reaman(1). SB - Z. Wilson 2(2); B. Reaman(1). CS - D. Moore(1); Esposito(1).
Strikeouts - Z. Wilson; B. Reaman; G. Wolff; T. Grau; B. Jordan 3; Caruso; Esposito; Carbone;
Goetz. Walks - Z. Wilson; G. Wolff; T Hutchinson; Katz-Wicks 2; Peretti; Egan.
