COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs junior
Jeremy Hochmuth combined for three hits in today's two games as the Mountain Lions (5-5) dropped a pair to Nebraska-Kearney (6-5) today at Spurgeon Field. The Lopers earned the 3-1 win in eight innings and closed with a 3-0 decision in the second game in a pair of scheduled seven-inning games.
Hochmuth and
Zach Hall went two-of-four in the first game and Hochmuth finished one-of-three in the second game.
Brant Chapin also finished today with two hits, both singles in each game.
The Lopers took an early 1-0 in the first inning of game one, and threatened to add to their lead with runners on second and third before a groundout to second base ended the inning. UCCS answered with a run in the bottom of the second inning after the Mountain Lions took advantage of back-to-back fielding errors by Nebraska-Kearney.
Colin Ludwig scored from second after
Matthew McDermott singled up the middle to tie the game at 1-1.
UCCS loaded the bases in the third inning with one out and put runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings, but couldn't take the lead against the Lopers. The Mountain Lion defense retired Nebraska-Kearney in order in the sixth and seventh innings to keep the game tied at 1-1, but after
Tyler Matheny was hit by a pitch to reach base, the Lopers put together three straight outs to force extra innings.
Nebraska-Kearney drew a walk to start the top of the eighth inning, and then took advantage of a Mountain Lion error to put runners on first and second with no outs. A sacrifice bunt moved the Loper runners to second and third, and a single up the middle made it a 3-1 lead.
Daniel Silva earned a strikeout for the second out and the Mountain Lions finished the inning on a force out at second, but UCCS went down in order in the bottom of the eighth in the 3-1 setback to open the day.
The Lopers loaded the bases to start the second game before
Will Felton struck out his second batter to keep Nebraska-Kearney off the scoreboard. He continued with two strikeouts to start the second inning and struck out the side in the fourth inning to increase his total to eight through the fourth.
UCCS struggled to put runners on base with only one runner through the first three innings before a leadoff double from Matheny in the fourth inning. The Mountain Lions loaded the basses with no outs after
Brant Chapin was hit by a pitch and Hochmuth singled to center field, but a double play and a fielder's choice ended the scoring chances for the Mountain Lions.
Felton gave up his only run on the first pitch of the fifth inning with a solo home run to right-center field as Nebraska-Kearney took the 1-0 lead against the Mountain Lions. UCCS was retired in order in the fifth and sixth innings, and the Lopers used three hits to add two runs and expand their lead to 3-0 in the top of the seventh. Ludwig reached base with a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh, but a double play finished the 3-0 decision for the Lopers in game two.
UCCS will play for a split in the series with Nebraska-Kearney when the series wraps up on Sunday. The teams will meet in a nine-inning game at noon.
