Kenny Hernandez
VERNON, Tex. – Seward County Community College went 1-3 in their series at Vernon College over this past weekend. The Saints won game one n Friday 11-3 but fell in game two 8-7. On Saturday, the Chaps won game three 4-0 and game four on a walk-off home run in the tenth inning 12-9. Seward County is now 5-11 on the year and will be back in action this weekend as they host Redlands College Friday, March 3rd, at Brent Gould Field.
Game 1
The Saints started game one with Ranse Radtke scoring in the top of the first inning from a Chap error. Wilcox continued the scoring efforts with an RBI double that scored Trenton Rowan from second base. Vernon responded with a run in the bottom of the second inning, but Seward County still led 2-1. Wilcox hit another double in the third inning to score Jaxson Gregg to extend the Saitnslead to 3-1.
The Chaparrals scored a run in the bottom of the third to cut the lead back down to one run, 3-2. With the bases loaded in the fourth inning, the Saints Gregg drew a walk to score Brody Boisvert to take a 4-2 lead. The Saints extended their lead in the top of the sixth inning with an RBI single by Connor Cox that scored Elijah Bear, 8-2 SCCC.
A sac fly by the Chaps scored one run in the bottom of the sixth, but the Saints still led 8-3. In the seventh inning, the Saints scored off of an RBI single by Bear to score Radtke. Cox added to the lead for Seward County with a single as Bear and Wilcox came around to score. Seward County won 11-3 and improved to 5-8.
Brian Luna Alvarez picked up the victory from the mound as the starter went five innings with two earned runs, five hits, and five strikeouts. TJ Newman came in for relief and pitched two innings with one earned run, one hit, and one strikeout.
Game 2
Once again, the Saints started the game with a run as Cameron Cartwright scored from third base on a fielder’s choice. Both teams went scoreless from the second inning until the fifth inning. Vernon scored five runs in the fifth to take a 5-1 lead over Seward County.
Cartwright scored in the top of the sixth inning for the Saints after a single by Gregg. Bear hit a sacrifice fly two batters later that scored Radtke as the Saints trailed 5-3. In the top of the seventh inning, the Saints’ Radtke hit a double that scored Connor Raney and Boisvert from second base to tie the game at 5-5. A few batters later, Bear reached on an error off of missed pop-up that scored Radtke and Gregg from second base as Seward County took the lead 7-5.
Seward County was three outs away when Vernon responded in the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-RBI double to tie the game 7-7. In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Chaps scored the winning run from their base after an infield error. The Saints fell 8-7 in extra innings to go to 5-9 on the year.
Elias Herrera picked up the loss from the mound as he pitched one inning with two hits, three runs, and two strikeouts. Aidan Moore started the game with six innings with four earned runs, six hits, and three strikeouts.
Game 3
In the first game on Saturday, the Chaps got on the board in the bottom of the second inning to lead 1-0. The Saints were unable to get their offense established in the contest. Vernon continued to add to their lead with a run in the fourth, fifth, and six innings to lead 4-0. Seward County only had two hits (Cartwright and Boisvert) in the game and fell 4-0 in game three.
Tristan Curless pitched the entire game for the Saints with three earned runs, eight hits, and two strikeouts from the mound.
Seward County fell to 5-10 on the year with one game left in Vernon, Texas.
Game 4
In the final game on the weekend, the Chaps started the scoring with a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning. The Saints responded in the third with a double from Gregg that scored Cox as Seward County trailed 2-1. Curless had heads-up base running as he could score on a passed ball to tie the game at 2-2 in the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, the Chaps responded, scoring three runs to regain the lead 5-2 over the Saints.
Seward County had a pair of home runs in the sixth inning to take the lead right back, 7-5, over Vernon. Boisvert homered to left field and scored Curless, and Radtke followed suit with a home run that scored two more runs, Raney and Cartwright.
This was a nine-inning contest as we advanced to the inning, the Chaps tied the game with two more runs, 7-7. The score remained as the contest went into extra innings. Boisvert broke the tie with an RBI single that scored Curless, and Cox followed suit with a bunt single that scored Boisvert after an error. The Saints led 9-7, entering the bottom of the 10th inning.
The Chaps responded again, tieing the game at 9-9 after an error and a double in the tenth inning. With two runners on base, the Chaps hit a walk-off home run to defeat the Saints 12-9 in a heartbreaking loss to end the weekend.
The Saints Ryuga Matsumura picked up the loss in the contest with four earned runs, three hits, and five runs. Bo Jacob Garza started for the Saints and went 3.2 innings with five earned runs, seven hits, and two strikeouts. Trent Gerber came in for relief for Garza and went 5.1 innings with three earned runs, five hits, and two strikeouts.
Seward County will host Redlands Saturday and Sunday at 1pm.