CLEVELAND, Tenn. – In the game of baseball, all it takes is one bad inning for a promising, start to go sour and leave a bad taste in your mouth.
One bad inning in each game of Saturday's Opening Day doubleheader was all it took for the Urbana University baseball team to see a lead evaporate into a 9-3 loss in nine innings and a seven-inning 7-5 defeat at Lee University.
"Overall, we know there are struggles sometimes early in the year, but I was disappointed with a couple of defensive mishaps," said Urbana head coach
Jake Oester. "There was some lack of communication and things that we messed up after spending the last couple weeks working on in practice.
It's not like we were that far off. We're probably in a good spot to win the second game if we just limit the damage," stated Oester. "That's something we'll get better at. I can't wait to get back after it tomorrow."
Briley Harlan got things going for the Blue Knights in Game 1 with a bases-loaded, two-out single through the right side of the infield in the top of the second inning to plate
Josh Hagans and Robbie Guerrero.
Logan Fisher hurled a good game on the mound as the Blue Knights' Opening Day starter, but a one-out homer in the fourth by Justin Fragale would stoke the Flames. It eventually led to Fisher exiting the game later in the inning with Lee up, 3-2.
Lee's Landon Silver hit what would become the game-winning home run to lead off the bottom of the sixth to give the Flames a 4-2 lead. It was a big moment for the senior who played at Orange Coast College previously under Coach John Altobelli, who was one of the nine victims in the recent devastating helicopter crash in California.
Silver's shot off the foul pole ignited the Flames to jump out to a 9-2 lead. The six runs scored in the stanza came on just three hits but was aided by five walks including two with the bases loaded.
Brett Bell came around to score the final run of the game for Urbana on a throwing error in the top of the ninth inning.
Game 2 would once again see the Blue Knights start the scoring in the second inning, and once again thanks to a two-out single by Harlan.
Josh Hagans led off the inning with a walk from Flames starter Alex Harper-Cook, who is a senior transfer from the University of Tennessee. Harlan then came through with a clutch single through the left side.
However, the Flames would gain the lead from the Blue Knights in the fourth inning as they did in the opener.
Urbana starting pitcher
Tyler Bess hadn't allowed a hit through the first three innings until a Ryan Beamish double would get the wheels rolling for Lee, which scored six runs in the inning on three doubles and a home run along with three walks and a sacrifice fly.
Harlan was once again involved in a scoring play, but this time he was the one crossing the plate as Carney tagged a triple to right center.
Tyler Dellerman would later double down the left-field line to score Carney from third, but a bases-loaded double play and a strike out would see the Flames maintaining a 6-3 lead.
Lee answered back in the bottom of the fifth before Urbana would tack on one in each of the sixth and seventh innings.
Daniel Quiroz scored on groundout by Carney in the sixth and
Deion Tubbs scored on a throwing error by the Lee shortstop after
Quinton Roach singled on the play.
Harlan would go 4-for-6 combined in both games with three RBI and a run scored.
Carney was 3-for-4 in Game 2 with two RBI and a run scored.
"We talked before each game on trying to focus on limiting the freebies on the mound," said Coach Oester. "And of course, the first game of the year we walked way too many.
Offensively, we started coming around. We faced some tough arms, the starter in the second game is a transfer from Tennessee, and he was getting the down-and-in call. I think we did a really great job of just weathering that storm and getting to the pen. We need to continue to "buy-in" on our team approach at the plate, on every pitch."
UP NEXT: The Blue Knights will conclude the season-opening road trip at Lee University tomorrow with a 1 p.m. first pitch at the beautiful Olympic Field.
