Leavenworth, Kan.—A furious late-inning comeback fell just short for the Spires, as a ninth-inning home run lifted Bethany College to a 6–5 win yesterday afternoon in Leavenworth, Kansas.
After trailing 5–1 through four innings, USM clawed back with single runs in four straight frames to pull even, only to see Bethany's Tarafa break the tie with a solo shot to left in the top of the ninth. The Spires then put the potential tying run on in the bottom half but could not push it across, closing out a tight, back-and-forth contest.
Bethany used a pair of multi-run innings to seize early control. A three-run third inning was capped by a two-run single from Balmer after a wild pitch brought in the initial run. The Swedes then added two more in the fourth, highlighted by a run-scoring double from Bones to left, to stretch the margin to 5–1.
Saint Mary began to chip away in the middle innings. In the second, the Spires struck first when
Lucas Barta singled to left to drive in
John Caime after his single to left center. Then again, trailing by four in the fifth,
Bryce Turner lined a single to left-center to cut the deficit to 5–2. Caime added another run in the sixth with an RBI single to left, scoring
Ian Maldonado, and Turner made it a one-run game in the seventh with a double to right-center that brought in
Maverick Rockers.
The Spires completed the comeback in the eighth.
Cooper Stein reached and eventually came around on Barta's second RBI single of the day, this one to left, knotting the game at 5–5 and shifting the momentum squarely in the Spires favor. The Swedes, however, answered immediately in the ninth when Tarafa, who finished with two runs scored, drove a pitch over the wall in left for what proved to be the game-winning homer.
Offensively, USM matched Bethany with 10 hits and showed balance throughout the lineup, collecting three doubles and three stolen bases. Barta paced the Spires with two hits and two RBIs, while Turner added two key run-scoring knocks as the Spires steadily erased the early deficit. USM finished with seven runners left on base in the narrow loss.
On the mound, the USM pitchers held the Swedes scoreless over the fifth through eighth innings before the late breakthrough in the ninth.
Moises Soriano was tagged with the loss, while Bethany's Guzman earned the win.
The Spires are back at it this afternoon with game two and three of the KCAC series against the Swedes. First pitch in game one is slated for 1:00 p.m. with game two to follow shortly after.
