WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A win is a win, no matter how it happens. That saying holds true here, as it may not have been pretty, but Loras was able to squeak out a victory over UW-Superior Thursday afternoon.
The stat line was about as weird as it gets for the Purple and Gold, who lost in the hits department and managed nine fewer base runners but benefited from numerous Yellow Jacket errors and worked in some timely hits.
Offensively, it wasn't a noteworthy contest, but the third inning gave the Duhawks all they needed to win the game. It began with an error that allowed sophomore
Vince McDowell to reach base, that was then followed by four consecutive singles from
Alex Sandoval,
Max McCallum,
Trevor Segraves, and
Cody Sunny. Finally,
Colin Kissane hit a groundball at the third baseman who muffed it, and two runs came across, making the score 4-0. That would be the end of the Duhawk scoring though.
After the third, Loras (9-4, 0-0 A-R-C) only got five runners on, two of whom got hits. Thankfully, the Purple and Gold's pitching staff balled out. Freshman
Bode Bregar kept the University of Wisconsin-Superior (5-7, 0-0 UMAC) hitters off-balance, giving up only two hits, and retiring six with the punch-out in his five and one-third innings.
Relievers
Adam Williamson and
Dylan Ackermann combined for five strikeouts and Ackermann orchestrated a masterful performance, leading the Duhawks out of a bases loaded jam after the lead had dwindled to one. He would close out the contest to give Loras the 4-3 victory.
The Sweet Escape
Loras' pitching staff had a knack for finding themselves in some sticky situations against the Yellow Jackets but got out of it every single time. Two innings ended by six-four-three double plays, and eight of the 11 total strikeouts for the Duhawk staff were with a runner in scoring position. It total, 15 UW-Superior baserunners were left stranded, the largest total in a single game in almost a half-decade.
Up Next: The Purple and Gold will close out their spring break trip with a doubleheader against Ohio Northern University, with game one starting at 12:00 p.m. central time.
