Baseball splits with Cornerstone in WHAC doubleheader

(Grand Rapids, MI) - The Rochester Christian baseball team continued its Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) season against the Cornerstone Golden Eagles. The bats exploded on the day with 48 runs being scored between the two games. RCU earned a 13-10 win in game one, before Cornerstone rallied in game two with a 15-9 win. 

GAME 1 - ROCHESTER CHRISTIAN 13 - CORNERSTONE 11

Lance Jones (4-1) earned the win on the mound, pitching five innings with five runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. 

Although the Warriors left three runs on base in the first inning, they would not be able to tally a run until the third when they put three runs on the board. Aiden Alspaugh singled home Nathaniel Crane. Beau Falkenhagen would next hit a two-RBI double, scoring Issander Vega and Vinnie Campisi. 

Both teams tallied a run in the fourth inning, with Cael Kuzinski hitting an RBI double to score Jayden Peterson with Cornerstone hitting an RBI single. 

RCU put up an eight spot in the fifth inning with Matthew Shakotko hitting a two-RBI double, Aiden Alspaugh and Parker Lassner each hitting RBI-singles, and Jayden Peterson and Nathaniel Crane both also earning RBI's. The bottom of the fifth saw CU start to crawl back into the game with a four spot in the inning, making it 12-5. 

Cornerstone continued their comeback attempt with six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, making it a one-run game. Parker Lassner hit a big RBI-single insurance run, scoring Issander Vega. 

Jayden Peterson pitched the seventh with a pair of swinging strikeouts and one strikeout looking. 

Louis Frontero pitched .2 innings, allowing five runs on three hits, with Landon Fahey allowing one run on one hit, getting one out. 

Jayden Peterson (4th save) came in from right field to pitch the final inning as he would strike out the side for the win. 

GAME 2 - CORNERSTONE 15, ROCHESTER CHRISTIAN 9

Matthew Redmond opened the game on the mound with 5.2 innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on nine hits, striking out seven batters.

RCU once again began the game with three runs in the first inning with Aiden Alspaugh hitting a double, Niko Lahr getting a bases loaded hit by pitch and Alspaugh coming around to score on an error. Cornerstone grabbed a pair of runs in the second inning, scoring off an error and a single. 

The Warriors would again grab three runs in the third inning, starting off with a Beau Falkenhagen homer to left field, before Cael Kuzinski singled home a pair of runs. Cu grabbed a run back with an RBI groundout. 

Cael Kuzinski earned a third and fourth RBI in the game in the fifth and seventh inning with a single to left field, scoring Parker Lassner and an RBI groundout. Aiden Alspaugh hit and RBI single in the ninth inning to close out the scoring. 

The next three innings for Cornerstone would see them score 12 runs with five in the sixth and eight and two in the seventh. 

Will Pflaum allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit. Matthew Shakotko (1-5) pitched a pair of innings, allowing seven runs (four earned) on four hits, with one strikeout. Christian Rivera closed on the game getting the final out. 

UP NEXT

The Warriors return to action on Sunday, March 22, with a doubleheader traveling to Cleary University with a 1 PM first pitch.