Baseball drops game one to Colby Sawyer 3-1, falls 8-6 in extras in nightcap

Auburndale, FL- The MCLA baseball team dropped a 3-1 decision to Colby Sawyer this afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader in Auburndale, FL.  With the loss, the Trailblazers snap a three game winning streak and are now 3-3 on the season.  The Chargers improve to 4-4 on the season.

The Trailblazers scored a run in the first as Brett LaBonte drove home Joe Toledo who was hit by a pitch for an early 1-0 lead.  The score would remain that way as starting pitchers Liam Nolan and Chris Mitchell were in control.

The Chargers would finally get to Nolan for a pair of runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to provide the final margin.  In the fifth, CSC tied the game on an error by Andrew Casteel and scored the go ahead run on a misplayed ball from Logan Rumbolt for a 2-1 advantage.

CSC would add a key insurance tally in the sixth against Nolan when Brendan Thurber drilled a run scoring triple into right center field making it 3-1.  Mitchell would make it stand up against the Trailblazers who have shown a knack for coming back early this season.  Schamal Forbes began the seventh with a pinch hit single giving MCLA life, but Mitchell induced a 5-4-3 double play from Toledo to quiet the threat.

Mitchell worked around 6 hits and 3 walks for his second win of the season (2-0).  Nolan absorbed the loss going the distance and striking out 7 Chargers and allowed just 5 hits and one earned run.

In game two, CSC jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage off MCLA starter Brendan Kelly.  MCLA would get a run back in the third inning on a Christian Seariac sacrifice fly making it 2-1.  Colby Sawyer tacked on two more runs in the fourth to go up 4-1 before MCLA rallied for four runs of their own to snag a brief 5-4 lead.  The key hit of the inning was a two run single off the bat of Bill Pulasky while the Trailblazers used a few Charger miscues to add to their run total.

MCLA gave them right back in the top of the fifth inning as CSC score twice to regain the advantage.  The Chargers scored one run after MCLA misplayed a sacrifice bunt and ultimately took the lead on a groundout.  The score would remain that way into the seventh.

Pinch hitter Andrew Casteel would get a leadoff single and was sacrifced to second base by Myles Candelet.  Joe Dimassimo would follow with his fourth hit of the day putting runners at the corners and bringing freshman Darrien Luckett to the plate.  His RBI single tied the game, but Colby Sawyer got a pair of groundouts to end the frame and send it to extras.

Colby Sawyer scored a pair of runs in the 8th inning off Trailblazer freshman pitcher Austin Miller.  Doug Avellino had an RBI single while Justin Devoid would follow suit as well making it 8-6 in favor of the Chargers.

MCLA's Bill Pulasky doubled with one out in the bottom half, but he was erased trying to steal third base.  Christian Seriac followed with a two out single to keep the momentum alive, but the Chargers got a strikeout to end the game.

Dimassimo was a perfect 4-4 on the afternoon for the Trailblazers while Pulasky added two hits and two RBI.  Miller was saddled with the loss.

The Trailblazers are now 3-4 on the season and wrap up the Florida swing tomorrow morning with a twinbill against Central (IA).