In the first game of a double-header at home with the Marauders of Millersville, the Rams squandered a late inning lead and lost by a 4-3 score.
Senior outfielder JJ Sarty got the scoring going with a double down the left field line in the first inning that drove home senior infielder Jacob Carney. Right off the bat, the Rams led 1-0.
Senior catcher/pitcher Tyler Thomas hit an RBI singly to center field that brought Sarty home, giving the Rams an early 2-0 lead after one inning of play.
Mitch Stolzfuz finally gave an answer for the Marauders in the fifth inning by grounding out to second base on a ball that was hit down the right field line. In the process, outfielder Dan Neff rounded the bases and scored the game’s first run for the Marauders.
Now leading 2-1, the Rams needed an insurance run for later in the game. Still in the fifth inning, senior outfielder Ron Farley delivered in the clutch with an RBI singly up the middle that allowed Carney to score.
Redshirt-freshman starting pitcher Joe Rindone and the Rams (0-3 on the season now) struggled with allowing baserunners early, but none of them reached home early on.
Going into the sixth inning, the Rams were in good shape, needing just six outs to get a much-needed win.
That is when things went bad, when they could least afford to do so. The Marauders would go on to score three runs in the sixth inning to take a 4-3 lead.
Rindone performed well early, but could not finish the deal when it mattered most.
Infielder Grayson Miller started the scoring onslaught with his single down the left field line that infielder David Summerfield stretched around the bases with that narrowed the deficit to 3-2.
Miller scored later off of a wild pitch by the Rams. Second baseman Ted Williams got to third as a result of the play as well.
With the lead now gone and a 3-3 score, the Rams were in the midst of a collapse they needed to avoid.
Their nightmares were complete when outfielder Chas McCormick launched an RBI single, bringing in Williams for the go ahead score. Neff got to third base thanks to an error by the Rams.
In their final attempt to tie the game, Carney was walked with one out. Sadly, the Rams could not drive him home, as Sarty and Farley struck out and flied out, respectively, to close out the game.
Despite recording 10 hits, the Rams finished with just three runs, leaving numerous hitters on base.
Ridnone went 5.2 innings, gave up four runs on six hits, walked five, and struck out seven.
Eli Nabholz pitched five innings for the Marauders, allowing three runs on 10 hits, walking one, and striking out four.
The Rams play at Millersville tomorrow for another double-header. Game one starts at 12:00 p.m., followed by game two at 2:30 p.m.
Anthony Bracken is the Sports Editor of The Picket. He can be reached at abrack02@rams.shepherd.edu
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