Beavers Fall Late to League-Leading Gorloks

CARLINVILLE, IL -- The Blackburn College Baseball team hosted St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference leader Webster University Tuesday afternoon but fell to the Gorloks 3-2 in the opener, and held a lead late in the second game but were unable to hold on as they fell 9-5. 

Junior Joshua Moreno posted four hits, with one double on the day and two runs batted in.  Senior Andrew Lozano posted three hits, two doubles, two runs and an RBI. Senior C.J. Brunaugh, juniors Harley Carney and Royce Congi, and sophomore Diego Perez also had multiple hits. Carney added two runs while Perez posted two RBI's. 

Alex Coffman threw a complete game in the opener, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out three. 

The first game saw the Gorloks score two runs in the second inning and added another in the fourth. BC responded with their own run in the bottom of the fourth when Lozano opened the inning with a double and got to third off a Moreno single. Brunaugh followed with single which scored Lozano and made it 3-1. 

In the bottom of the eighth, the Beavers inched closer. Carney got things started with a single and got to third with another Moreno single. The team was then able to use some creative base running that allowed Carney to steal home and put Moreno on second. Blackburn was able to make contact several more times but were unable to get another run, falling 3-2. 

Blackburn faced a 3-0 deficit after the third inning in the second game but controlled the middle innings. In the fourth, Perez knocked his first home run of the conference season to make it 3-1. 

The Beavers took a lead in the sixth. Congi and Carney both singled to start the inning. After a pitching change, Lozano hit a double to centerfield to score Congi which Moreno followed with his own double which allowed Carney and Lozano to score, putting BC up 4-3.

Sophomore Dominic Medrano added a run in the seventh after he got on with a single and scored when Perez hit a double. 

With the Beavers lead 5-3, the Gorloks responded with three runs in the eighth and three more in the ninth to capture the 9-5 victory. 

Blackburn returns to action Saturday when the visit SLIAC foe Westminster College for two games.