Micah Thompson leads the Wolves at the plate
St. Louis, Mo. – The Cardinal Stritch University baseball team struggled to get their bats going in the second day of games against Harris Stowe State University. Justin Cooper (Watertown, Wis.) was strong on the hill for the Wolves in game one and Stritch out hit the Hornets 4-2, but a lack of offense gave Harris Stowe a 2-1 win. A seven run fifth inning took the Wolves out of the second game and they fell 8-1.
In game one it was the Hornets that scored first, taking advantage of a Stritch error. Travis Parker (O’Fallon, Mo.) singled up the middle with one out. The senior then stole second and was advanced to third on a grounder by Mike Luczak (Arnold, Mo.). Wolves’ second baseman Austin James (Milwaukee, Wis.) was unable to handle a shot by Jon Wilson (St. Charles, Mo.), which scored Parker giving the Hornets a 1-0 lead.
Parker made it happen again for Harris Stowe in the third, reaching base on a walk before stealing both second and third. The third baseman made it all the way around the bases, scoring on a wild pitch, before Cooper earned three quick outs to get out of the inning.
The Wolves got some offense going in the top of the fourth, as Kyle Trewyn (Whitewater, Wis.) drew a walk with one out. Marcus Perleberg (Delafield, Wis.) entered the game to run for the catcher, quickly stole second, and used an error by the pitcher to grab third. Micah Thompson (North Prairie, Wis.) was hit by a pitch, putting runners at first and third. A steal attempt by Thompson ended up scoring Perleberg, but the Wolves third baseman was picked off at third trying to grab an extra base.
Cooper was able to hold the Hornets scoreless after the third, but Stritch couldn’t muster up the offense to earn their second win of the season.
Cooper gets the loss in the matchup, though he had quite an outing. The junior gave up only two hits and one earned run and struck out seven in six innings of work. At the plate the Wolves had four players that recorded one hit apiece – Dean Mlachik (Muskego, Wis.), Trewyn, Thompson, and Tyler Hinkel (Rhinelander, Wis.). Trewyn also walked twice.
The Wolves reached the scoreboard first in the second game, as Trewyn was hit by a pitch to lead off the third inning. Sterling Smith (Lombard, Ill.) pinch ran for the catcher and was singled in by Thompson. But the Hornets responded in their half of the inning as Parker stayed hot and was able to drive in Basilio Marteniz (Los Angeles, Cal.), who walked to lead off the inning.
The Wolves made it into the fifth with a 1-1 tie, but after a rough start by pitcher Troy Engibous (Muskego, Wis.) Stritch was not able to regain control. The Hornets scored seven runs on five hits in the inning to give them an 8-1 lead that would take them to the end of the game.
Engibous takes the loss, giving up four hits and three earned runs while striking out five in four innings. Thompson recorded the Wolves’ only RBI in the game.
Stritch moves to 1-3 after losing two on Sunday. They return to action next weekend when they travel to New Albany, Ind. to face Indiana University Southeast on both Saturday, Mar. 6, and Sunday, Mar. 7.