By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, OH---The Express baseball team dropped a doubleheader to Cuyahoga Community College on Saturday.
Game 1: Cuyahoga 5 Owens 4
The Express lost a 4-0 lead as Cuyahoga scored five runs in the fourth and fifth inning to take a 5-4 win.
In the third, the Express scored all four of their runs. Travis Tackett led off with a walk and Nate Manis followed with a single to put runners on first and third. A sacrifice fly from Ryan Horvath then put Owens up 1-0. Following a hit batter, Ryan Hotmer tripled to center field to put the Express up 3-0. Daniel Heatherly would score Hotmer on a fielder's choice groundout during the next at bat to complete the scoring.
Express starter Andrew Joseph then allowed two runs in the fourth to cut the lead to 4-2. Sean Koerber relieved him in the fifth and allowed three two-out runs.
Hotmer finished 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Debol went 2-for-3 with a run and Manis was 2-for-4 with a run.
Joseph's final line included four innings, four hits, two runs, three walks and three strikeouts. Koerber's one inning included four hits, three runs, zero walks and one strikeout. Dane Davis pitched the final two innings and retired all six batters he faced.
Owens stranded 10 runners in the game.
Game 2: Cuyahoga 7 Owens 1
The Express were one-hit by Cuyahoga's Mark Rauschenbach in a 7-1 loss in the second game.
Cuyahoga scored one run each in the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead. In the second, Nick Collins reached on an error by Cuyahoga's left fielder to start the inning. Back-to-back groundouts then allowed Collins to score and pull the Express within one.
However, Rauschenbach settled down from there. Aside from a leadoff single in the fourth by Hotmer, he either retired or got a fielder's choice in every other Express at bat.
Thus, Hotmer got the only Express hit, while Collins scored the only run and Logan Shullick got the only RBI.
Cuyahoga scored three runs in the fifth and two in the seventh to complete the scoring.
Jordan Basinger started for the Express. He allowed seven hits, five runs and three walks while striking out three over six innings. Aaron Peoples pitched the seventh and allowed two hits and two runs while striking out two.
Rauschenbach's final line included seven innings, one hit, one run (zero earned), two walks and six strikeouts. He retired the final nine Express batters.
Notes
The Express are now 12-21 overall and 6-6 in the OCCAC. Their next action will be Monday at home against Mercyhurst North East beginning at 3 p.m.