Blackburn Baseball Drops SLIAC Matchup with Westminster

FULTON, MO -- Blackburn College Baseball continued St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action Saturday with a doubleheader against league rival Westminster College but were unable to capture victory as they fell 9-5 and 20-8. 

The Beavers struck first with two runs in the first inning. Senior Andrew Lozano opened the game with a single and sophomore Joshua Moreno was hit by a pitch. After a groundout advanced the runners, sophomore Omar Claudio singled to score Lozano and Moreno to move BC ahead 2-0. The team added another in the second inning when junior Harley Carney tripled which also scored sophomore Diego Perez, who got on after a walk. 

The Blue Jays answered with a run in their second and third inning but BC answered in the fourth. Perez singled to get on and scored on a fielder's choice by Lozano. Junior Brett Lander also scored on a Moreno single after reaching base due to getting hit by a pitch. 

Unfortunately, the hosts would score two runs in the bottom of the fourth and added a run in the sixth and two in both the seventh and eighth to win 9-5. 

The nightcap started with Westminster building a quick lead, leading 5-0 entering the fifth inning. Carney tripled then scored on a Lozano single. After senior C.J. Brunaugh also singled and scored when senior RJ Arredondo knocked his second home run of the season. Freshman Andrew Medina followed with his first career home run and pulled the Beavers to 5-4. 

However, the Blue Jays responsed by scoring four runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. The Beavers added four runs in the top of the seventh. With the bases loaded, junior Royce Congi singled which scored Medina. Carney followed with a double and scored freshman Carter Hood and junior Pedro Medina. A passed ball allowed Congi to score, and made the score 13-8. In the bottom of the inning, Westminster added seven more runs to win the game 20-8. 

The Beavers head to Maranatha Baptist University Monday and Tuesday to take on the Sabrecats in nonconference action. The team will play one game Monday evening and a doubleheader on Tuesday.