WARRIORS TAKEN DOWN BY LOURDES AND UNOH IN WHAC OPENERS

ROYAL OAK, Mich. & LIMA, Ohio - The start of conference play left more to be desired for the Warriors (8-14), who fell in two games each to the Lourdes Gray Wolves and Northwestern Ohio Racers on Saturday and Sunday. The Warriors saw a close first game against the Gray Wolves in front of a big crowd go awry in the final innings. Catcher Aidan Alspaugh led the Warriors with two RBI on the weekend. 

VS. LOURDES 

GAME ONE - L, 3-4

The first game was a back-and-forth matchup, starting with an RBI single from Alspaugh to run in center fielder Luke Jayaraman after Jayaraman doubled to start the first inning. The Gray Wolves responded in the top of the second with an explosive two-RBI double to snag the lead. With bases loaded, pitcher Ryan Polega made sure to prevent any more runs with a crucial strikeout to get the Warriors out of there. 

Polega struck out two more batters in the top of the third, helping set up the Warriors for the lead in the bottom when right fielder Jayden Peterson took advantage of a throwing error to reach home plate. The Warriors scored again in the bottom of the fourth on a Reese Ungvarsky sacrifice fly, where shortstop Trace Hudson narrowly avoided the Gray Wolves' catcher for a score. 

The Warriors were placed in a tough spot in the final innings, as the Gray Wolves tied the game in the top of the sixth inning. The Gray Wolves loaded the bases in the seventh to set up a go-ahead RBI single. The Warriors made a crucial double play to end the Gray Wolves' run, but couldn't score in the bottom of the seventh to rally. 

GAME TWO - L, 1-8

The bats just weren't landing for the Warriors in the second game, as the team couldn't find a score until the ninth inning while the Gray Wolves took advantage of their at-bats. The Warriors found themselves down 2-0 after the second inning. In the top of the third, Jake Nuttall, Lucas Bateman, and Jack LaRue all connected on a nice double play to get the Gray Wolves out early. 

The next few innings had the Gray Wolves score runs after reaching via errors, which wasn't helpful for the Warriors' comeback effort. In the sixth, the Warriors went down 5-0, but had a solid chance to score. A LaRue triple nearly helped the Warriors score their first run of the game, but Bateman was caught at home plate by the catcher on a high-contact dive. 

After subbing in at third base, Marco Murillo hit his first RBI of the season in the ninth inning, getting Mason Young a run after pinch running for catcher Tony Grazioli. 

AT UNOH

GAME ONE - L, 1-11

The Warriors had a really tough go after taking an early lead in the first matchup at Northwestern Ohio. Alspaugh smashed a home run to right field to get the Warriors started in the second inning, but Rochester Christian was met with a ferocious response by the Racers, who scored two runs in the bottom before scoring the rest of the game unanswered. 

Peterson executed a well-timed steal in the third inning, putting himself in scoring position. However, the Warriors were unable to capitalize and the runs continued to go against them. The struggles at the plate continued for the Warriors, as the team was quickly outed in each of the final three innings to prevent any sort of rally. 

GAME TWO - L, 0-17

It didn't get any better for the Warriors in the final game of the weekend, as the team conceded multiple runs in all but the first inning of this game. Grazioli singled in the second inning to give the Warriors an opportunity, but that would be short-lived. 

Things didn't improve as the game progressed, with Alspaugh hitting the Warriors' last hit of the game in the third inning. The Racers continued to build momentum as the innings went on, leaving the Warriors in a predicament as the seventh inning rolled around. 

STAT OF THE WEEKEND

Alspaugh's weekend places him in the top five amongst the Warriors in total hits on the season. 

UP NEXT

The Warriors travel to face Michigan-Dearborn on Wednesday, March 20. 

Hussein Murray - RCU Athletic Communications

Featured Image: Hanna Swanson - RCU Athletics