Owl nine takes lumps on spring roadtrip
The University of Maine at Presque Isle baseball team lost all seven games during their trip to Virginia Feb. 20-25.
The Owls were outscored 72-11. Their closest game was a 5-4 loss to Averett University in Danville, Va. in the first game of a doubleheader Feb. 25. Coach Leo Saucier’s squad had two scheduled games during the trip rained out.
UMPI led 3-1, thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of Carlos Villoria in the top of the fourth inning. However, the hosts rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth and another in the sixth before the Owls got to within a run on Villoria’s sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh. The game ended with the potential game-tying left on third base.
Jordan Perry suffered the loss, striking out seven batters and walking two in 4-2/3 innings. Jake Fillebrown went the final 1-1/3 innings, fanning two.
Stephen Thorne doubled, while Corey Harding, Lucas Morrell and Alex Csiernik all singled for UMPI.
The Owls fell in game two, 19-1. Anthony Batchelder led the Owls by going 2-for-2 at the plate and Nadeau had the lone RBI. Thorne, Justin Bergeron and Brian Andrews all had singles. Andrew Carter suffered the pitching loss by allowing nine runs on eight hits in his three innings of work.
The week started with a 7-1 loss to Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Va. Feb. 20. UMPI then dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Southern Virginia University Feb. 21 by scores of 5-1 and 17-0. Villoria, Nadeau, James Cirell and Ted Walker all had hits in the opener and Harding took the pitching loss, while the Owls were no-hit in game two.
UMPI battled to a 13-4 loss against the Hampden-Sydney Tigers Feb. 22. Walker’s RBI double plated Cam Morrell from first for the Owls’ first run. Csiernik, Seth Cote and Shane Smith all had hits in the team’s two-run fourth, while Evan Kingsbury had a run-scoring single in the eighth for the Owls’ final run. Anthony Batchelder started and went the 4-1/3 innings and was handed the pitching loss.
On Feb. 23, Roanoke College handed the Owls a 6-0 loss. Villoria had two hits and Harding and Csiernik notched one each for UMPI. Dylan Worster went six innings and walked just one batter, but took the loss on the mound. Fillebrown, Smith and Carter all were effective in relief.
The team next plays March 19 at Wilkes-Barre, Pa. to battle against King’s College in a single game to kick off a week-long, 11-game swing in both Pennsyvania and New York.
