Baseball Picks Up One in Three-Game Weekend
JOPLIN, MO. - The Graceland University baseball team was back in Joplin this weekend for three games against non-conference opponents. On Friday night, Graceland fell to the University of Saint Mary 6-1. They bounced back to defeat Morningside College on Saturday afternoon, 7-6 but fell Saturday night to Columbia College, 12-8.
GAME 1 (FRIDAY)
Friday night's game was scoreless through two and a half innings before Saint Mary took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 3rd. Cody Ferguson started on the mound and gave up just the one run in three innings. The Spires would add one more on in the top of the 4th to go up 2-0. In the fifth inning, Graceland got their first hit of the game but were unable to push out a run. Again in the sixth, the Yellowjackets would threaten offensively, but still unable to get on the board. They would end the bottom of the sixth by leaving the bases loaded.
In the seventh, Saint Mary would put up four runs to go up 6-0 in the contest. In Graceland's final at bat, they would get one run off of two hits to make the score 6-1 with two outs. Back to back hits from Andrew Maxson and Andres Lopez would get the Yellowjackets on the board. They were not able to add on after that to make the score final at 6-1.
GAME 2 (SATURDAY)
The Yellowjackets trailed their first game on Saturday 3-1 after the end of one inning of play. Graceland would then put up a four-spot in the bottom of the second to take a 5-3 lead over Morningside. Neither team would score in the 3rd, 4th, or 5th inning as Graceland held on to their two-run lead. Morningside would then get two in the top of the 6th to tie the game at 5.
The Graceland offense would answer back with two of their own in the bottom of the 6th inning. They would take a 7-5 lead into the final inning. In the top of the seventh, Morningside would close the gap to one but could not score the tying run late.
Graceland would have six hits in the contest including three from Felix Lopez. Lopez would also have four RBI for the game to help lead the Graceland offense. Aaron Hassell picked up the win on the mound by going six innings and allowing just three runs off five hits. Hassell walked just one batter and struck out seven.
GAME 3 (SATURDAY)
Graceland would start off their matchup with Columbia by taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with a solo home run from Tanner Maskey. Columbia then scored two in the bottom of the 1st to take a 2-1 lead and then extend it after another run in the 2nd inning. Maskey would get his second hit of the contest in the top of the 3rd to start a Yellowjacket rally. He would later score in the inning to cut the deficit to one. Matt Reyes would single to left field with two outs to score another to tie the game.
Columbia would go up 4-3 heading into the fourth inning after a run in the bottom of the 3rd. Hits from Reyes and Maxson would help lead to a 4-run 4th inning for the Yellowjackets. In the bottom half, Columbia would answer with five runs of their own to take an 8-7 lead. They would extend that lead in the next inning with three more runs on the board. Graceland would get their last run in the top of the 7th off an RBI single from Jaichis Holmes.
The Yellowjackets as a team had a total of seven hits in the game compared to 10 by the Columbia bats. Defensively, Graceland had three errors in the game which would lead to runs for Columbia.
Weather pending, Graceland is scheduled to play their first home games of the season this upcoming weekend. They are set for four games on Saturday and Sunday hosting Central Methodist on February 29 and Missouri Valley on March 1.
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