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Home > Sports

Metro brings out brooms vs. Bulldogs

By Tylar Watt
twatt2@mscd.edu

For the second weekend in a row Metro’s baseball team swept their opposition Feb. 23 spoiling the weekend opener for the Concordia Bulldogs by beating them 5-2 and 9-1 at Auaria Field.

Timely hitting and dominant pitching were crucial in both victories along with Metro’s proven players stepping it up once again on Saturday.

Metro left-fielder Jake Palmer has been playing lights-out all year, coming into the game hitting a team best .526 batting average while adding 10 RBI through the team’s first five games. By Saturday’s end, his numbers only improved.

In game one, Palmer went 4 –for- 4 from the plate with three RBI, and in game two, he went 2-for-3, with one run scored and another three runs batted in. He finished the day going 6-for-7 and was responsible for over 1/3 of the team’s runs.

“I just try to get it done every time ‘cause if (the ’Runners) are going to be in scoring position there’s gotta be one person to hit them in, and it might as well be me,” said a smiling Palmer after the game.

Palmer was not the only one confident in his abilities, as Metro head coach Bobby Pierce stated excitedly after the game, “It just so happens Palmer goes 4-for-4, and luckily we have people on base every time he comes up and he wins the game for us single handedly.”

But Palmer was not the only offensive force of the day, as the Roadrunner hitters combined for 18 hits and drew 13 walks between the two games.

Perhaps the most impressive statistic is that 18 different players went up to bat at least once during the two games, giving testament to this Metro offense as being extremely potent and having the ability to be successful with just about anybody in the lineup.

“It’s really comforting because, you know, I feel like we have a little extra protection against injury,” Pierce said about his availability of hitters. “Everybody knows they need to pay attention because they may get a chance to play.”

Saturday’s games, however, were not just about the offense, as a few of Metro’s top pitchers were on the mound. Metro pitchers Steven Green and Armando Casas tossed solid performances in holding the Bulldogs to three total runs.

In game one Green was on target, allowing only two runs on two hits during a 6 1/3 inning effort that also included nine strikeouts, improving his record to 3-0 on the season.

Game two featured Casas, who tacked on another seven inning performance, which included giving up only one run on eight hits, striking out 11 Bulldog hitters, and giving Casas his second win of the season.

“You know I just come in and throw strikes, give my offense a chance,” Casas said about his mindset going into the game.

The strong efforts by Green and Casas, and the entire Metro pitching staff for that matter, are making life much easier for the Metro hitters.

“It’s nice being out in the field for like three minutes takes a load off our shoulders, just allowing us to relax and do what we do,” Palmer said.

After nine games, it’s hard to tell which the Roadrunners seem to have more of, fun or confidence.

“Everybody’s happy,” Palmer said of his teammates’ mood in the dugout. “Everybody believes in everybody else … we’re just confident.”

The following day, Metro continued its dominace from the plate scoring 11 and 13 runs to complete the sweep of the Bulldogs. Palmer’s bat remained hot going 4-for-9 with five RBI.

The 4-0 weekend improves Metro’s record to 7-2 on the season and will head into conference play Feb. 29 and March 1 when they take Colorado Christian at Auraria Field.