MASON, Ohio – The Centre baseball team secured a win in its opening series of the season against the Carroll Pioneers after a Sunday doubleheader split. After dropping today's first game 3-1, the Colonels bounced back to take the series rubber match by a score of 6-3.
Game 1: Carroll 3, Centre 1
- The Pioneers struck first in the top of the first, scoring an unearned run following an error, walk and single. Centre put runners in scoring position in four of the first six innings, but failed to get runners across the plate.
- While Centre's bats went cold in the early stages, Carroll tacked on two more runs – one of them unearned – in the sixth to go up by three.
- The Colonels had their best scoring chance in the eighth as
Jordan Gunter,
Dillon Di Iorio and
Josh Cunningham all drew walks to load the bases with nobody out. Centre lined into a double play, and although Gunter would score on a passed ball, the double play effectively ended the rally and the last chance for Centre to come back.
Game 2: Centre 6, Carroll 3
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Carson Werrmann took the hill for Centre in the seven-inning contest, and after a leadoff walk, Centre's 2020 ace struck out the next three hitters to set the tone.
- In the first inning, Gunter worked a leadoff walk, was sacrificed to second and third, and eventually scored on a Carroll error to put the Colonels on the board first.
- The third inning was the turning point in the game as Centre took advantage of numerous Carroll miscues. Gunter and Di Iorio were each hit by pitches to start off, and after a sacrifice by
Patrick Hope moved them to third,
Teddy Holloway walked to load the bases. Freshman
Mark Pyburn worked a bases loaded walk to plate Centre's second run of the day. Di Iorio and Holloway then scored on consecutive wild pitches to make it 4-0.
Will Ahrens then walked and advanced to second after another Carroll error brought home Pyburn. Finally,
Luc Morgan ripped a base hit to plate the fifth run of the inning for the Colonels.
- Werrmann finally ran into trouble in the sixth as Carroll scored two runs with two outs.
Karson Thompson entered in relief of Werrmann and ended the rally.
- In the seventh, the Pioneers made it a 6-3 game after an RBI groundout. With the bases loaded, Morgan moved from third base to the mound and induced a 6-4-3 double play to finish off the game and get the save.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORES
- Gunter was on base all day long across both games, finishing with two hits, four walks, two steals and three runs scored in the doubleheader.
- Werrmann was outstanding in his first start of 2022, striking out 11 batters in 5.2 innings of game 2.
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Micah Cowen had a strong outing in his first collegiate start despite taking the loss, allowing only one earned run.
NEXT UP
The Colonels will return to action on Tuesday night with a matchup against Hanover.
