Baseball Powers Their Way to Non-Conference Sweep Over UM-Dearborn
(Howell, MI)-- In a rare non-conference double-header in September, the Cleary Cougars baseball team welcomed the Michigan-Dearborn Wolverines for a pair of games at Lake Trust Stadium Sunday afternoon.
In Game 1: After neither team scored in the first inning, UM-Dearborn would score first on an RBI single to take a 1-0 lead. Cleary's bats would take a couple innings to get warmed up, and they struck back in the bottom of the 4th inning to take the lead. Billy Flohr reached base on a single, and advanced to second on a defensive error (Zach Hargis would pitch-hit for Flohr). After a Sam Browne walk, Jesnel Soto singled to right to score Hargis and tie the game. The next batter, Marcel Garcia, singled to left, scoring Soto and Brown to give the Cougars a 3-1 lead. UM-Dearborn would retake the lead in the next half inning, as they hit a 3-run home run to left field, making the score 4-3. Cleary would roar back in the bottom of the 5th, with a Spencer Jamieson 2-out double (Cedric Russell would pitch-run). After a Billy Flohr intentional walk (Hargis would pitch-run), Sam Browne singled to right to score Hargis and Russell, giving Cleary a 5-4 lead. The Cougars exploded for five runs in the bottom of the 6th to take a commanding 10-4 lead, and Colin Brazil came in to finish the game, earning a 6-out save.
Nate Raniszewski earned his first win as a Cleary Cougar, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits, and striking out 3 in 2 innings pitched. Spencer Jamieson went 2/4 with 2 RBI and 2 doubles, while Billy Flohr went 2/3 with 1 RBI and a walk.
In Game 2: Just like in game one, neither team was able to score in the first inning, but both teams would come alive in the second inning. UM-Dearborn would score in the top half of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. Cleary answered right back, as Billy Flohr led off the inning with a single and a stolen base. After advancing to third on a Marcel Garcia sacfrifice bunt (who reached on an error), Garcia and Flohr both stole bases, with Garcia advancing to second and Flohr stealing home to tie the game. Dearborn would regain the lead in the third inning after scoring a pair of runs, but Cleary would get hot once again to regain the lead. After a Zach Agemak single and stolen base, Ben Cerven singled to left to score Agemak and make the score 3-2 Wolverines. In the 4th, Sam Browne led off the inning with a triple (Zach Hargis would pitch-hit), and Marcel Garcia would draw a walk to bring up Jesnel Soto. Soto would hit a deep fly ball over the right field fence, hitting his first home run as a Cougar. Ben Cerven added an RBI single to score Caleb Buda, and Spencer Jamieson doubled home Cerven and Cedric Russell to make the score 8-3, and Billy Flohr brought Jamieson home on an RBI sacrifice fly to make the score 9-3. The Wolverines would add two runs back in the top of the fifth, but Cleary answered back once again. After a Jesnel Soto single, and a Dominic Schweitzer walk, Cedric Russell singled to left center to score two runs, and giving the Cougars an 11-5 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, Jesnel Soto hit his second home run of the game, once again going deep to right, and a Cedric Russell triple scored Schweizter to make it 13-5. UM-Dearborn would score twice in the top of the seventh, but the deficit was too much, as the Cougars held on to win 13-7.
Ryan Lieng earned his first win on the mound, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits over 2 innings pitched in relief. Jesnel Soto went 3/4 with 4 RBI and 3 runs scored in teh game, Zach Agemak, Ben Cerven, Sam Browne, and Cedric Russell each added 2 hits apiece.
Cleary improves to 2-0 overall.
