WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — The Keuka College Baseball team faced the University of Maine at Presque Isle in a doubleheader in Florida on Wednesday afternoon.
Keuka College (3-6) won the opener 4-2 but dropped game two to the Owls 17-11 for the doubleheader split.
Keuka College 4 vs. UMaine-Presque Isle 2 – Game 1
Keuka College used three straight singles in the second inning to load the bases.
Mike Dutch and
Patrick Altpeter both singled past the third baseman in the hole.
Ian Ruhmel followed with a bunt single for the Wolves.
Juan Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to score Dutch, but the inning would end with Keuka just pushing across one run.
The Green and Gold added to their lead in the third with two outs.
Zach Elinich tripled to right centerfield. He scored on the next batter as
Derek Novicki singled to right to score Elinich and made it 2-0.
The Wolves added to their lead in the seventh.
Alex Evans singled for the Wolves and scored from first on a double by
Nate Hill down the left field line. Hill scored on a single by
Logan Meisner as the Wolves took a four-run lead.
The advantage was more than enough for starting pitcher
Luis Rivera. The first-year was in control all day against the Owls. He allowed just four hits on the day, two coming in the final inning. Presque Isle pushed across a pair of unearned runs in the seventh, but Rivera closed out the game with a strikeout as the Wolves took game one 4-2.
UMaine-Presque Isle 17 vs. Keuka College 11 – Game 2
The Wolves took the lead in the first inning of game two as
Grady Kessler worked a walk. He came all the way around on
Zach Elinich's second triple of the day. Elinich scored on a sacrifice fly as the Wolves led 2-0.
The lead would only last a half inning as the Owls plated five in the top of the second, capped by a grand slam to lead 5-2.
Presque Isle repeated in the third with five more, but the Wolves answered in the bottom of the inning. Keuka got one run on a wild pitch and another on a groundout.
Evan Cuba had a loud hit for the Wolves, hitting a ground-rule double to deep left field to make it 10-5.
The Owls scored three in the top of the fourth inning, but Keuka continued to keep the game close. Keuka loaded the bases to start the inning.
Dan Mrowinski, who singled, came home as
Grady Kessler worked a walk.
Zach Elinich then singled for the Wolves to score two and make it 13-8. Keuka added one more on a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to four after four innings.
Four more runs crossed for Presque Isle in the fifth. Keuka College pulled a pair back in the sixth, but they would not be able to complete the comeback as they fell 17-11 in game two.
KC Notes:
- Wednesday was the first-ever meeting between the two schools on the baseball diamond
- Rivera was the story in game one for the Wolves. The first year threw a complete game, allowing just four hits and two unearned runs. He struck out four in getting his first career victory
- At the plate, Derek Novicki and Nate Hill each had a pair of hits for the Wolves. Novicki also mixed in a pair of stolen bases on the basepaths
- Patrick Altpeter added his first hit in a Keuka College uniform in game one as well
- In game two, Hill had another two-hit game and scored three runs
- Zach Elinich finished with a single and a triple. The first-year outfielder drove in four runs for the Wolves
- Derek Novicki ended up with just one recorded at bat in game two, mixing in a pair of sacrifice flies and a hit by pitch. He scored a run and drove in two, but saw his career-high seven-game hitting streak come to an end
- Jimmy Stewart was the most effective reliever for the Wolves in the nightcap. The first-year pitched two perfect innings, retiring all six batters he faced
Up Next for Keuka College: The Wolves will conclude their spring trip in Florida with an Empire 8 Conference series. Keuka College will play their E8 games against SUNY Brockport while down south. The Wolves and Golden Eagles will faceoff in a doubleheader on Friday and then conclude the series with a single game on Saturday.
