In their second day at the H.H.H. Metrodome, the Judson University baseball improved their play taking one of two games from Clarke College (3-1) for their first win of the year. Judson won game one, 8-5, but then gave up four runs in the sixth inning of game two falling 4-1. Heath Groves picked up the win and Ed Draper recorded the save in game one.
Judson 8, Clarke 5
Heath Groves went 5.2 innings for the win and Ed Draper finished off the Crusaders in the final 1.1 innings for the save. Groves had one strikeout and gave up eight hits, five runs, and three earned runs. Draper had one strikeout and one hit in five batters faced.
Ben Vincent and Zach Williams each went 3-of-3 on the night as Williams had two doubles and three RBI to lead the team. John Amann had one hit, a triple, for one RBI and two runs scored. Vincent crossed plate three times for Judson. Nate Rohl, Andy Parsill, and Nick Norris all had one RBI.
Judson scored one run in the first inning on Williams' first double of the night to score Vincent. Clarke added two runs in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead before Judson erupted for three runs in the third and one in the fourth for a 5-2 lead.
Clarke cut the lead to one, 5-4, in the bottom of the fourth only to see Vincent score on a Clarke error. Judson added two more runs in the sixth for an 8-4 lead. Amann tripled home a run and Williams had his second double of the night to finish out the scoring.
In the bottom of the sixth, Clarke made things interesting scoring one run to come within three, 8-5. Draper came in to shut down the threat and record the first save of the year.
Game 2
Clarke 4, Judson 1
Clarke scored all of their runs in the bottom of the sixth inning after five shutout innings by Stefan Alinkas. Alinkas took the loss as his first two runners in the sixth reached on walks and both scored. He went five innings and gave up two runs on two hits with no earned runs. He had three walks and four strikeouts.
Draper went 0.2 innings and had two earned runs on one hit and then Kyle Murphy finished the final 0.1 innings facing one batter.
Judson had only three hits by Vincent, Levi Pippenger, and Nick Norris. Pippenger scored for Judson in the third inning on a double play to make it 1-0.
Judson will now see what the weather does as they are suppose to play at Harris-Stowe (MO) this upcoming weekend.