Alice Lloyd Baseball takes series over Wright State-Lake

Pippa Passes, KY: The Alice Lloyd College Eagles baseball team returned home for a three-game series against Wright State-Lake, OH. Despite dropping a nail-biter in the opener, the hosts roared back to take the final two contests and win the series.

February 28th

Game 1

Alice Lloyd - 2: - WSL - 3

The visitors scored late to take the opener in a pitcher's duel.

WSL scored in the second with a home run (1-0) before the Pippa Passes posse used a Cole Bishop (C) single and three walks in the same inning to plate a pair of runs and jump ahead, 2-1.

Pitching was the name of the game after that, as neither club would get a hit for five innings. Finally, in the seventh, Wright State belted a homer to send the game into extra-innings (2-2).

Eventually, in the ninth, the visitors broke the tie with a single (3-2). Now, down to their last chance, ALC got the tying run on base with a walk but were unable to drive him home.

On the mound, Dawson Beckett pitched well, only allowing 1 run on 1 hit through five innings. Colton Lovelace relieved for 3.1 innings and suffered the hard-luck loss, allowing only 3 hits and 2 runs. Gage Hensley closed the day by striking out the pair of batters he faced. Each host pitcher would whiff 2 batters.

At the plate, Bishop would deliver the only 2 Eagle hits on the day, while Caleb Justice (3B) and Challen Massengill provided 1 RBI each.

ALC was outhit, 4-2, and both teams' player error-free ball.

Game 2

Alice Lloyd: 9: WSL-2

The hosts took control early and took the dominant victory.

The Kentucky squad scored a pair in the first, with Diego Rodriquez (SS) lining a single (2-0). In the very next inning, Carson Tate (DH) duplicated the feat to plate more runs and give his club a 4-0 cushion.

In the third, Wright State gave the hosts a gift run by hitting a batter (5-0), then saw the Pippa Passes posse break the contest open in the fourth by virtue of a trio of singles and a pair of errors. Heading into the sixth, the Lakers trailed 9-0.

In the sixth, WSL finally got on the scoreboard with 2 runs, but they were shut out in the seventh and dropped a 9-2 decision.

On the mound, Ryan Grubbs tossed four nice innings of 2-hit ball, allowing 0 runs. He whiffed 3 batters. Thomas Forehand gave up a pair of runs and 2 hits in 2 innings (2K'S) while Lucas Combs retired all three batters he faced in a scoreless seventh.

At the plate, Tate had 3 hits, and Hensley added 2. Rodriquez drove in 3 runs.

The Eagles won the hitting battle 11-4, and ALC won the error fight 0-3.

March 21st

Game 3

Alice Lloyd - 11: WSL - 9

The Caney Creek club would answer big in the final inning to roar back for the clinching series win.

Grover Maynard's (LF) grounder in the first gave the hosts a quick 1-0 lead, but Wright State answered in the third as a pair of Eagle errors led to 3 runs (3-1).

Alice Lloyd used a Maynard double and 2-run error to knot things in their half of the third (3-3) before Rodriquez singled home a pair of teammates in the fourth to give the Bluegrass squad a 5-3 cushion.

In the fifth, the Lakers rapped consecutive doubles to vault ahead, 6-5, before ALC's Bishop promptly lined a double of his own to tie the contest up, 6-6.

Over the next three innings, crucial errors by the home squad, plus a sacrifice fly, permitted the Ohio crew to score a run each inning. Heading into the bottom of the eighth, Wright State-Lake led 9-6.

Fortunately, the hosts rallied as singles from Tate and Jayden Huff (PH) each produced an important run (9-7). Then, after loading the bases, the Eagles got a huge double, courtesy of Brady Hall (1B), to clear them. Suddenly, heading into the final inning, the Caney crew led 11-9.

In the Lakers' last at-bat, the leadoff man singled. Fortunately, he was caught stealing second. The next two batters went down in order to hand the series to the Kentucky men.

Jacob Ayers started on the mound for ALC and was relieved by  Trenton Williams, Cain Flynn, and Matthew Hebar. The quartet combined to allow 9 runs on 9 hits with 5 strikeouts, with Flynn recording 3 of those.

At the plate for ALC, Rodriquez provided 3 big hits, with Tate, Maynard, Beckett, and Kyle Johnson (CF) each socked 2 hits. Bishop and Hall both delivered 3 RBIs.

The Eagles won the hitting battle 15-9 but were most fortunate to survive 6 errors, which kept the game close.