The Omnibus

Issue date: 4/13/07 Section: Sports

An SBU baseball player dives back to base trying to avoid a pick-off versus UCM.

Perspective is always a good thing when evaluating results. Central Missouri State, now Central Missouri, had five players selected in the first 11 rounds of the 2005 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. As one baseball publication put it, that is almost unheard of. So to say that UCM is a powerhouse is not out of the question. And to say Southwest Baptist University had two legitimate chances to seal a game in last weekend's four-game series puts SBU's four losses in a different perspective.
SBU used games one and four to make serious runs at winning a game in Warrensburg. The Bearcats dropped game one on Thursday, 8-6. Trailing by only one run in the seventh, the Mules put together a two-out, three-run rally in the bottom of the inning to create a lead SBU could not overcome.
Junior Zane Montgomery (3-5) took the loss for the Bearcats, going six-and-two-thirds innings, giving up eight runs on 10 hits. He also walked three and struck out one.
Junior Josh Baggett had a monster offensive game for the 'Cats with three hits, including a two-run homer in the eighth. He also drove in four runs and scored twice. Senior Spencer Wilkins added two hits and junior Brad Mountjoy drove in a run and scored.
Game four, the second game of a Saturday doubleheader, saw the Bearcats let a late-inning four-run lead slip away.
The 'Cats had a four run lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning of a seven-inning game. The Mules scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth and then scored in the bottom of the seventh on a wild pitch with one out.
Junior J.R. Smith had another good start for the Bearcats, going four-and-two-thirds and giving up only three hits. Sophomore Bobby McMillin (2-1) was tagged with the loss. He struck out two in an inning and two-thirds.
Junior Chris Martinez, senior Kevin Miller and Baggett all drove in runs for the Bearcats. Martinez also scored a run. Mountjoy and Kyle Tormanen each had two hits and accounted for three of SBU's four runs.
Games two and three were not so kind to the Bearcats. SBU pitching gave up 27 runs in the two games, to which the offense scored only nine in response.
The weekend ended with the Bearcats sitting at 12-18 overall and 5-10. In MIAA play, the 'Cats currently reside in eighth place in the conference. UCM is first in the MIAA and is 34-5 overall and 16-2 in conference.
Rain cancelled SBU's scheduled doubleheader versus Missouri Southern on Tuesday.
SBU's next scheduled games are April 13-14 at Pittsburg State. The games will begin at 1 p.m. on Friday and noon Saturday. PSU is 16-19 overall and 7-9 in the MIAA.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools