DANVILLE, Ky. – The Centre baseball team hosted the Concordia-Chicago Cougars in doubleheader action to wrap up their spring break week. The Colonels dropped the first game in a 15-14 shootout before scoring a season high in runs with an 18-2 victory in game 2.
Game 1: CUC 15, Centre 14
- The Cougars got off to a hot start as the first five batters recorded hits, all of them scoring to put Centre in an early 5-0 hole.
- Centre got three of those runs back in their half of the first as
Dillon Di Iorio doubled,
Ben Prather reached on an error and
Mark Pyburn was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Chase Austin ripped a base hit up the middle to score a pair, and then
Matthew Maggard's single plated Pyburn to make it 5-3.
- CUC added a solo homer in the third, but Centre made a rally in the bottom of the inning as Pyburn doubled into the gap to score Prather. Austin once again went up the middle with a single to narrow the gap to 6-5.
- From there, the Cougars stayed hot as they scored three runs in each of the next three innings, which meant the Colonels were going to have to play even further from behind.
- The Colonels got an RBI groundout from Di Iorio in the fourth and an RBI single from Austin in the fifth to cut into the margin, and then they put up a crooked number in the sixth. Di Iorio was hit by a pitch to start the action and then
Karson Thompson doubled to put runners on second and third. Prather brought in the first run on a sacrifice fly and then Austin lined a base hit through the infield to make it 15-9.
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Teddy Holloway led off the bottom of the seventh with a single the other way as Centre loaded the bases with nobody out. Prather drove in a pair with a base hit and then Austin did the same to put their fourth run on the board in the inning.
- After a scoreless eighth, Prather led off the ninth by reaching second after an error. Austin singled to cut the lead to 15-14 and put the tying run on, but that was as close as Centre got for the rest of the inning.
Game 2: Centre 18, CUC 2 (7 innings)
- The Colonels needed just one hit to put up five runs in the first inning.
Josh Cunningham was hit in the leg by the first pitch and following a Di Iorio walk, Centre plated the first run of the contest on an error. Austin walked to load the bases and
Aaron Lopez brought everybody home after his triple down the right field line. The final run of the frame came on an RBI groundout by
Conner Jackson.
- Concordia got a run back in the top of the third, but Centre exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the inning.
Jamie Laframboise led off with a bunt single, and then an opposite field double by Jackson put runners on second and third.
Evan Weyler connected on a base hit to drive in two runs and Centre loaded the bases once more, scoring another run after an error. With the bases still loaded, Thompson uncorked a grand slam to cap off the offensive outburst, making it 12-1.
- Centre picked up a run in each of the next two innings after Jackson stole home in the fourth and Austin had an RBI groundout in the fifth, increasing the lead to 14-1.
- In the bottom of the sixth, Weyler and Cunningham each delivered RBI hits and Di Iorio drove in another with a groundout. Pinch hitter
Robert Monaco delivered an RBI groundout to finish off the scoring for the Colonels.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORES
- Austin had one of the best individual offensive performances in Centre baseball history in game 1, going 6-6 at the plate and driving in eight runs, both school records for a nine-inning game.
- Prather finished with four hits and five RBIs across the doubleheader, earning the win in game 2 after striking out five in six innings of work.
- Centre's 18 runs in game 2 are the most in a game for the Colonels since they scored 19 at Transylvania in 2019.
NEXT UP
The Colonels and Cougars will wrap up their season series on Sunday.
