ST. DAVIDS, Pa. - Eastern Baseball fell to visiting Misericordia on Wednesday afternoon in game one of a three-game series by the final score of 16-13. Misericordia scored eight runs in the first three innings and never looked back as they led the entire game to earn the victory.
After falling behind 2-0 Eastern (6-7-2, 3-1 MAC Freedom) scored three runs in the bottom half of the first inning.
Joe Grato doubled to give the Eagles a runner in scoring position and scored on the very next at-bat after
Joseph De Los Santos doubled to cut the deficit to 2-1. Back-to-back singles by
Andrew Boykin and
Andrew Check plated runs to give Eastern the lead at 3-2.
Misericordia (10-5, 3-1 MAC Freedom) scored six runs over the next two innings to retake the lead at 8-3. A two-run fifth inning stretched the Cougars lead to 10-3.
The Eagles pulled within four scoring three runs in the bottom half of the fifth.
Angelo Kelly started off the inning with a triple and scored one batter later when Tim Gorton grounded out to second to make it a 10-4 game. Grato homered the very next at-bat to cut the deficit to just five before Boykin plated De Los Santos with a single to make the score 10-6.
Misericordia scored four more runs in the top of the sixth inning to stretch the lead to 14-6. The Cougars loaded the bases with one out in the inning and scored four times in the next four at-bats to extend their lead.
Eastern battled back in the bottom half of the inning and pulled within one at 14-13 with a seven-run inning.
Shane Albertson started off the inning with a double. Kelly plated Albertson the very next at-bat to cut the deficit to just 14-7. Gorton and Boykin each homered in the inning to pull the Eagles within two, 14-12. A
Craig Stanley double followed by a
Nick Centeno groundout to short scored Stanley to pull Eastern within one.
However, a two-run home run to center field by Misericordia in the top of the eighth made the score final at 16-13.
Gorton finished the day going 2-6 with three RBI's and scoring one run. Boykin finished the game going 3-5 with four RBI's and scoring two runs while De Los Santos went 4-6 with two RBI's and scored four runs.
Eastern travels to Misericordia on March 24th for the final two games of the series.