Stags Go 1-3 During Four Game Weekend

CMS Baseball struggled to put all the pieces together this past weekend and was only able to win of the four games they played.  The win was an exciting 16-15 game that went extra innings. In the first game against visiting Willamette University, the Stags once again mustered minimal support for tough-luck starter Alex Sunderland who went seven and two thirds innings with five strikeouts and three earned runs. Alex Varga registered two hits and drove in the only Stags' run in a 4-1 loss.

In the second game of the day against Whitman College, the Stags jumped out to an early 9-0 lead through six innings behind a big day from Brett Watanabe. Starter David Ulrich, who didn't get much help from his defense, ran into trouble in the seventh and Whitman pulled the score all the way back to 9-8. Whitman then took a 14-11 in the top of the eighth, only for CMS to respond and tie it in the bottom half. Whitman once again took the lead in the top of the tenth inning, but the Stags refused to give in. Brian Bartlett's single drove in Ray Hurwitz to tie the game at 15-15 and two batters later Scott Witte's [pictured] line drive up the middle brought home Sam Katz as the Stags pulled out the 16-15 victory.

Sunday morning, CMS once again faced off against Whitman. Scott Witte's solo blast in the bottom of the fifth tied the game at 2-2. Defensive lapses cost the Stags dearly in the next frame as starter Chad Hadzinsky gave up four unearned runs in the sixth. CMS never recovered and fell by a final tally of 7-3.

In the final game of the weekend, the Stags faced off against one of their toughest opponents to date in Chapman University. CMS sent out starter Watanabe for the first time this year. The Stags fell behind 7-0 by the top of the third and could never get going offensively to mount a serious threat. CMS totaled eight hits, two by Sam Katz, but finished with only two runs to show for it in the 12-2 loss.

The Stags return to conference play with a three game series against Cal Lutheran this week.  The first game will be at home on Friday, March 4 at 2:30.