The Park University Gilbert baseball team (2-5) split a double header with Eastern Oregon University (1-2) today at Tempe Diablo Field #1 in Tempe, Ariz. The Bucs lost the first game 20-11 before rebounding to win game two 9-3.
Game 1 – Eastern Oregon 20, Park Gilbert 11
In a game of momentum, the Mountaineers had the last of it coming back from an eight-run deficit to win by nine over the Buccaneers.
The Bucs jumped out on top in the first with four runs without the benefit of a hit. They were the beneficiaries of six walks, three wild pitches and a Mountaineer error.
After EOU scored three in the top of the third, the Bucs responded with four more in the bottom of the third on a triple by Giovanni Sanchez who hit a ball which deflected off the glove of the EOU second baseman making a diving play for the ball past the right fielder which cleared the bases after Eastern Oregon had loaded them with three walks. Dylan Fisher then laid down a safety squeeze bunt to score Sanchez and ended up with a hit after EOU neglected to cover first on the play.
Park then took an eight-run lead in the fifth as the tacked on three more behind Dylan Fisher double, a Tommy Pinnow single and a Jimmy Wood sac fly.
That would be all the runs the Bucs would score for the game. The Bucs would only get one more hit the rest of the game and left four runners on base.
The Mountaineers would slowly chip away at the lead cutting the deficit to 11-7 heading into the eighth. Then in the eighth, everything fell to pieces for the Buccaneers as the Mountaineers posted 10 runs in the inning. Walks, wild pitches, errors and a steal of home after the Bucs forgot how many outs there were in the inning all contributed to a rough inning for the home team.
EOU would add three more in the ninth to come to the final score of 20-11.
At the plate, Fisher led the way going 3-4 with 2 RBI and two runs scored. Tommy Pinnow had an RBI and two runs scored and Trey Markham also scored two runs.
Kindrick Tipping (0-1) took the loss in relief.
Game 2 – Park Gilbert 9, Eastern Oregon 3
The best way to combat a disappointing loss is to come back with your ace in the next game. KJ Ward (1-0) silenced the Mountaineer bats over four innings, only allowing a lead-off single in the first and struck out seven. Ward allowed one unearned run after an error to start the third.
The Bucs got off to a good start once again in the first, scoring two runs and followed it up with solo runs in the second and third. This included a home run, a solo shot, by freshman catcher Aron Rivas.
The then tacked on three more in the fourth on an RBI single by Markham and a two-run single by Jimmy Wood.
EOU would get two more runs in the fifth off of Bucs reliever Aiden Guthrey before Caden Griffin came in and shut things down over the last 2.1 innings with four strikeouts to close things out.
Wood went 2-4 with 2 RBI, Rivas had the home run and 2 RBI. Ty Matz had two stolen bases.
These two teams close out the series tomorrow morning at Tempe Diablo Field #1 at 10 a.m. Starters have not been announced for the contest.
