The Blackburn College Baseball Team started their annual spring baseball trip with a pair of tough losses on Sunday afternoon at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas. The host Mountaineers claimed game one by a 8-4 score and took the nitecap by a score of 5-2. The Beavers, playing their first game in two weeks due to awful weather at home, fell behind early in game one as Schreiner plated a pair of runs in each of the first two innings to jump out to a 4-0 lead. Isaac Garrett relieved opener Lowell Schwartz and allowed just an unearned run in a pair of innings to keep the Beavers in it. Blackburn then mounted a comeback by scoring four runs in the top of the fifth to close the game to 5-4. Emmet Black opened the inning with a single, Logan Presley followed with a walk and a Christian Padilla single loaded the bases. Steven Diaz (pictured) ripped a bases clearing triple into the right-center gap to make it a 5-3 game. Tyler Jackson then ripped a double to make it a one-run game.
Schreiner added a run in the bottom half with the help of a hit batsman and passed ball to claim a 6-4 lead, then added two more in the sixth to claim the 8-4 victory. Devin Hooper took the win for Schreiner while Lowell Schwartz was hit with the loss. Padilla was 3 for 4, accounting for half of the Beaver hits.
"In game one, we gave away a few too many freebies to keep us from winning, the four-run rally was great to get us back in it, if we eliminate mistakes we win that one," said Blackburn Coach Mike Neal.
In game two, Blackburn struck first as Diaz doubled down the left field line and Ryan Steen drove him home with a two out single. Schreiner tied it up on the first pitch of the bottom of the 1st as Ben Benavides homered to right. The Beavers regained the lead in the third as Diaz doubled again, moved to third on a flyout by Jackson and scored on an RBI groundout off the bat from Ryan Steen. The Blackburn defense opened the game up for Schreiner as a two-out passed by tied the game and after a walk, an error allowed two more to score giving Schreiner the 4-2 lead. Schreiner tried to blow it open in the sixth, however feliever Kyler Sherrill facing bases loaded and nobody out worked his way out only allowing a sacrifice fly to keep a 5-2 game. Unfortunately, Blackburn went 3 up 3 down in the 7th.
Sammy Gordon took the loss for Blackburn. Schreiner is 5-11 on the season and Blackburn is 0-5 to open theirs. The Beavers will try to salvage the series finale on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.