By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Cleveland, OH---The Express suffered two tough losses on Friday, and then dropped another pair on Saturday in OCCAC action.
Game 1: Cuyahoga 5 Owens 4
With a 4-1 lead entering the last half of the seventh, the Express gave up four runs and lost 5-4.
Chris Ward threw an outstanding game, but ran out of gas in the seventh. He allowed the first two runners to reach in the seventh before Clayton Ruch relieved him. Tri-C then rallied to bring home the win.
Owens had scored twice in the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, Travis Tackett had an RBI single to center and Justin Elder had an RBI single through the right side to put the Express up 2-0, while Nick Collins had a two-run double to left center in the sixth inning.
Cuyahoga added one in the bottom of the sixth before their rally.
Ward's final line included six plus innings, six hits, three runs, zero walks and six strikeouts. Ruch allowed one hit, two runs, one walk and one hit batter in 0.1 innings to take the loss.
Collins led the Express offense with a 3-for-3, one run, one double and two RBI game, while Tackett was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI and Ryan Hotmer was 2-for-4 with a run. Elder added a 2-for-4, one RBI game.
Game 2: Cuyahoga 7 Owens 6 (8 innings)
The Express led 6-1 through three innings, but gave up a four-run fourth to Tri-C that allowed them back in the game. The game would go to extras where Tri-C scored in the eighth to win.
Jordan Basinger started for the Express and allowed six hits, five runs and zero walks while striking out two over 3.1 innings.
The Express bullpen then came in and pitched well. Dane Davis allowed two hits, one run, and one walk in 2.1 innings and Daniel Heatherly allowed only one hit and one walk in 1.1 innings.
Alex Juday took the loss. He allowed a one out single in the eighth. Following a steal, he allowed the game winning single.
In the first, Hotmer had gotten a bases loaded walk before two unearned runs gave the Express a 3-0 lead. Tri-C answered back with a run in the bottom half.
Owens added another unearned run in the second when a throwing error scored Elder, who had walked with two outs. Then, in the third, a two-run triple from Michael Louis scored Trevor Ozenbaugh and Collins.
Elder, Ryan Horvath and Collins each had two hits for the Express, while Louis (2) and Hotmer (1) provided the lone RBIs for the Express.
Game 3: Cuyahoga 2 Owens 0
In a low scoring game, two unearned runs were the difference as Cuyahoga pulled out a 2-0 win.
Both starting pitchers went the distance in the game. Andrew Joseph started for the Express and allowed six hits, two runs (zero earned) and one walk while striking out one.
The game was scoreless until the sixth when a leadoff error allowed Tri-C to push across two.
Five players (Nate Manis, Elder, Ryan Horvath, Hotmer and Collins) got one hit apiece for the Express. With walks, the Express left six players on base.
Game 4: Cuyahoga 6 Owens 3
The Express led 2-0 through two innings, but Tri-C rallied to complete the sweep.
In the first, Ozenbaugh drew a bases loaded walk to put Owens up 1-0, but the Express left the bases loaded. Then, in the second, Ruch delivered an RBI single to score Horvath, who had pinch ran for Austin Legate following a single.
Tri-C tied it up with two in the bottom of the third before the Express took the lead again in the fifth when Ozenbaugh's RBI single scored Heatherly, who doubled with one out.
Tri-C, however, scored four times in the sixth inning to close out the Express.
Garrett Scott went the distance on the mound for Owens in the loss. He allowed nine hits, six runs and three walks while striking out one over six innings.
Ruch and Ozenbaugh led the Express with two hits apiece as Ruch was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI and Ozenbaugh was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk.
Notes
The Express (14-31 overall, 6-14 OCCAC) will close out their home schedule on Tuesday against Ashland University JV beginning at 3 p.m. before traveling to Lakeland CC this weekend for a four game series.