'Runners dagger 'Diggers
by Mark Held
The Metropolitan
(Photo by Christopher Stark - The Metropolitan)
Metro starting pitcher Brad Swartzlander picked up a win in the first game of a doubleheader against Colorado Mines Saturday, April 17 at Auraria Field.
Metro baseball (20-21-1, 7-9 RMAC) completed a four game sweep last weekend on the strength of solid pitching against the Colorado Mines Orediggers.
Although Mines has yet to win a conference game this year, Metro's wins have come at an important time in the season when they can make a run for the conference tournament.
Senior pitcher Caleb Salankey took the mound Friday, April 16, and turned out an excellent performance going seven innings, giving up eight hits and two runs while adding five strikeouts.
Junior pitcher Burley Burns shut the door in the final two innings, giving up a couple of hits and striking out four.
On the offensive side, senior infielder Paul Workman came up big with four RBI on two hits, including a two-run home run.
Senior first baseman James Edwards threw his hat in the ring by going 3-5 with two doubles.
After getting into a small 2-0 hole early, the 'Runners charged back with 13 hits and eight runs in the final seven frames and put the dagger in the 'Diggers with four runs in their last two at-bats to finish an 8-2 win.
In game one of the Saturday, April 17 doubleheader, Metro sent senior starting pitcher Brad Swartzlander to the mound to continue the tone Salankey and Burns set the day before. Swartzlander did not disappoint, wracking up nine strikeouts in his seven strong innings.
He allowed just two earned runs on seven hits. Metro jumped out to an early lead, putting up five runs in the first two innings to Mines' two.
Senior Adam Wolfinger contributed to the offense by going 3-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Also adding to the 6-3 win was senior third baseman Rickey Fuller, junior outfielder Nick Thorne, and Edwards, who each went 2-3 with Thorne adding three runs and an RBI.
In the back end of the double header, Metro started sophomore pitcher Brady Carlson, who ran into some trouble early but had the comfort of a six-run first inning outburst by Metro's offense with the help of two Oredigger errors. Fuller provided one of the big hits of the inning, doubling in two runs. Carlson gave up only three more hits in the next three innings and left the game, knotted in a 6-6 tie, after the fifth.
His teammates picked him up with four runs in the bottom of the inning to give Carlson his first win of the season by a score of 14-7. Fuller again contributed to the cause, this time with a two-run homer, ending his day by going 4-4 with seven RBI.
In the final game on Sunday, April 18, Metro needed a win to complete the sweep in hopes of gaining some momentum going into this weekend.
Senior pitcher Blake Eager met the challenge with a dominating performance, striking out nine. His only lapse was when he allowed a fifth-inning home run by third baseman Steven Krier.
Mines failed to get a hit until a lone single in the fourth.
Outside of the home run, Eager did not permit an Oredigger base runner to reach second.
The Roadrunners' bats took care of business and gave Eager a comfortable 9-1 lead when he left after the seventh. Junior Greg Garrison went 3-4 with four RBI on a double and a three-run homer.
The 'Runners finished off the Orediggers by a score of 12-1, completing the four-game sweep.
Metro hit five home runs on the day and eleven the entire weekend, despite failing to hit any in the second game.
Senior catcher Matt Ludwig, who added two round-trippers himself, credited the pitching for the team's success on the weekend.
"Since the UNC game a couple of weeks ago, our pitching has been awesome," Ludwig said.
"I think the whole team is coming together, but the pitchers have really stepped it up and set the tone for the team."
Metro travels to Fort Hays this weekend to take on one of the better clubs in the conference. The four game series starts with one game on Friday, April 23, followed by a doubleheader on Saturday and one game Sunday. |
