Thompson went 2-3 against RMU
Bensenville, Ill. – Even with two big wins for momentum, the Cardinal Stritch University Wolves couldn’t find a way to win on Friday, falling in both games of a double header against Robert Morris University. The Wolves were completely shut down in game one by Ryan Rowe (Tinley Park, Ill.), who allowed only four men to reach base in the shortened game that the Eagles took 11-1. Stritch found some offense in game two, but two big innings have RMU all the needed to claim the 10-6 win.
Sterling Smith (Lombard, Ill.) earned a walk to open the day for Stritch. After being moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Henkel (Rhinelander, Wis.), Smith scored on a single by Andy Abromaitis (Oak Creek, Wis.). This would prove to be one of only two hits the Wolves would record the entire game, and the only run that would cross the plate.
Justin Cooper (Watertown, Wis.) held the Eagles to one run in the first two innings, keeping the Wolves in the game. However, RMU figured him out in the third and put up six runs. The junior remained in the game for the fourth inning, giving up four more runs. When Stritch failed to score in the fifth the game was called and the Eagles claimed the 11-1 victory.
Cooper gets the loss and falls to 3-3 on the season. The only Wolves’ hits were by Abromaitis and Jake Lark.
Game two started off better for the Wolves, who once again scored Smith after a lead off walk. A Robert Morris miscue allowed Lark to score in the second and Dean Mlachnik (Muskego, Wis.) nailed a two run shot over the right field fence to give Stritch a 4-0 lead in the third. The Wolves’ increased their advantage to six as Micah Thompson (North Prairie, Wis.) led off the fourth with a double down the line in left and went on to score on yet another Eagle error. Paul Blair (Lakewood, Calif.) followed Thompson’s double with a walk and was eventually brought in with a sacrifice fly by Smith.
But as in game one, Robert Morris couldn’t be held back for long. They scored five in the bottom of the fourth against Jason Calvert (Milwaukee, Wis.), who had seen only ten batters in the first three innings. The Eagles used five hits, including a home run by Marty Coyle (Midlothian, Ill.) to pull within one run, 5-6. Calvert remained in the game in the fifth until he gave up another homer to Brandon Howard (Coal City, Ill.), tying the game 6-6.
Andy Klein (Cudahy, Wis.) entered the game with a clean slate, but gave up three runs on four hits before getting out of the inning. Troy Engibous (Muskego, Wis.) took the mound a finished the game for Stritch, giving up only one run, but as the Wolves’ offense was shut down after the fourth, the Eagles took game two, 10-6.
Klein gets the loss and falls to 1-6 on the year. Thompson led the way with two hits in the match-up, while Mlachnik recorded three RBI in the losing effort.
Stritch falls to 15-27 overall and 7-15 in the CCAC after the losses to RMU. The Wolves and Eagles will play the final game of their series on Saturday, Apr. 24, at 1:00 p.m. The game is slated to take place at WCTC Field in Pewaukee, Wis.