Cougars Fall to Warriors in Cross-Town Matchup
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saint Francis (Ind.) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 3 |
|
Indiana Tech | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 11 | 8 | 3 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) baseball team traveled across town to take on Indiana Institute of Technology in a non-conference game on Tuesday, April 15.
The Cougars fell short against the Warriors, with Indiana Tech winning the game by a final score of 11-9.
Brenden Lytle drove in Sam Pesa with an RBI single, putting the Cougars on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. Indiana Tech quickly responded by scoring in the bottom half of the inning, tying the game at 1-1.
In the top of the second inning, Xavier Nolan hit a single to left field that drove in a run, giving the Cougars a one-run lead. However, in the bottom of the third inning, the Warriors regained the lead with two home runs, making the score 5-2.
The Cougars had a big fourth inning, scoring five runs to take a 7-5 lead. This inning was highlighted by RBI singles from AJ Patton, Jackson McKee, and Eli Riley, along with walks from Xavier Gonsalves, Nolan, and Pesa.
Indiana Tech responded by scoring five more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, bringing the score to 10-7 in favor of the Warriors.
In the top of the fifth inning, with one out, Nolan stepped up to the plate and hit his second home run of the season, scoring the Cougars' eighth run of the game. Jayden Lepper then followed with a solo shot to left field, cutting the Warriors' lead to 10-9.
Indiana Tech added another run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth inning, making it a two-run game.
Saint Francis was unable to score again in the final four innings, and the Warriors won the non-conference matchup by a final score of 11-9.
As a team, the Cougars recorded 11 hits and six walks. Lytle went 3-5 with a double and two RBIs. Riley and Nolan also contributed, each going 2-5 at the plate with a combined three RBIs. Lepper notched his third home run of the season, finished with two RBIs, and stole a base against the Warriors.
In relief, Cameron Alford, Matthew Roettger, Bryce Adams, and Andrew Kent combined for seven strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
Up next, USF baseball (20-21, 17-11) will travel to Bethel University for a Crossroads League four-game road series on April 17 and April 19.
Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.