WARRIORS SCORE EIGHT UNANSWERED TO RALLY AGAINST CORNERSTONE

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - It was a comeback for the ages on April 19 for Warrior baseball (11-35, 3-25), with the team scoring eight unanswered runs to escape a 13-6 deficit against the Cornerstone Golden Eagles (19-24, 14-12) for their first double-header at De Witt Field of the weekend. Senior Jack LaRue continued his unreal season during the win, hitting for the cycle and adding to his program-record home run total. 

GAME ONE - W, 14-13

The Warriors started with two runs in the first inning, thanks to LaRue and sophomore Ray Perez III hitting singles in consecutive at-bats for two RBI. The Golden Eagles quickly found answers in the bottom of the inning, scoring four runs to recapture the lead. Catcher Aidan Alspaugh helped the Warriors trim the lead in the top of the second, singling to give Luke Jayaraman his second run of the game. However, another Golden Eagle score kept things at the same distance to end the inning. 

LaRue and Perez kept the connection going to start the third, with both players hitting back-to-back triples to put RCU in prime scoring position. Perez would be tagged at home on the next at-bat, but third baseman Marco Murillo ensured the Warriors didn't have a fruitless inning with a single to right center that allowed Brendan DeFlorio to score. Much like the other innings, however, the Golden Eagles scored twice to end the inning and maintain the lead. After a LaRue bomb in the fifth inning, things looked to take a turn for the worst in the bottom of the inning, as the Golden Eagles scored five runs. 

Jayaraman helped the Warriors not lose hope in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly for Murillo, which also advanced senior Mason Young to third. Young took advantage shortly after on a ground-out to help inch the Warriors closer. LaRue doubled shortly after to send Alspaugh home and produce a three-run sixth inning for the Warriors. A series of walks in the seventh gave the Warriors the opportunity they needed badly - a bases-loaded situation. 

Just like in the sixth, Jayaraman began the Warriors' comeback effort with a single to left field to bat in Jayden Peterson. Shortly after, Alspaugh singled and Lucas Bateman walked in consecutive at-bats to give the Warriors two more scores and put them one point away from a tie. After a strikeout to make it two outs, the Warriors got the most clutch hit of the weekend from Perez III, who singled to right center for two RBI and the lead. In the bottom of the seventh, pitcher Kyle Shagena threw two massive strikeouts before Perez III cleaned up the final out for a momentous Warrior win. 

GAME TWO - L, 1-11

Things slowed down for the Warriors in the second game, as the Golden Eagles took an early lead they never conceded. The Warriors found themselves down 3-0 before their lone run in the third inning - an Aidan Alspaugh double down the left-field line that scored for Marco Murillo. Cornerstone responded with two more runs in the bottom of the third to keep growing the lead. 

The Warriors' bats fully cooled off in the next innings, with RCU batters not finding the ball during the period while Cornerstone continued to tally runs. The seventh inning sealed the deal, with Cornerstone scoring four runs, including a home run, which put the game away for good. 

UP NEXT

The Warriors will return to De Witt Field on Saturday, April 20, to face the Golden Eagles for the last half of their series. 

Hussein Murray - RCU Athletic Communications

Featured Image: Hanna Swanson - RCU Athletics