Leavenworth, Kan.—A three-run rally in the fifth inning pulled the Spires back within two, but Benedictine (Kan.) answered with late insurance to hand USM a 13-8 loss in a non-con match up Monday afternoon at USM Baseball Field.
Benedictine had jumped ahead early, scoring in seven of nine innings and using extra-base power and aggressive base running to stay in front. The Ravens opened the scoring in the top of the first on an RBI single, but Saint Mary answered immediately in the bottom half. Turner doubled to left to drive in
Maverick Rockers as the Spires pushed across two runs in the inning to take an early 2-1 advantage.
The game swung in the middle innings. Benedictine tied it in the third on a two-run home run by Hintz, then added a go-ahead RBI single from McCavitt to move in front 4-3. After Saint Mary briefly pulled level at 4-4, the Ravens broke the game open in the fourth. Hintz delivered another run-scoring single to center to start a four-run frame that included a run on a wild pitch and RBI singles from Sparks and Ornelas, pushing the margin to 8-4.
Lucas Barta started the surge in the fifth with an RBI single to right to score
Bryce Turner, and Saint Mary kept the pressure on by loading the bases.
John Caime then worked a bases-loaded walk to force in another run, and
Ian Maldonado followed with a sacrifice fly to trim the deficit to 9-7 and bring the tying run to the plate before the inning ended.
USM continued to battle at the plate throughout the afternoon, finishing with 10 hits and 8 runs against a staff that had allowed just one strikeout. Turner's first-inning double and Barta's run-scoring single in the fifth highlighted the extra-base and timely production, while the lineup constantly put pressure on the Benedictine staff.
On the mound, the Spires worked the full nine innings, allowing 14 hits and 13 runs. The Spires limited Benedictine to single runs in the seventh and eighth, but the visitors added two more in the ninth on a solo home run from Messick and a heads-up steal of home by Stone after his earlier double to close out the Ravens scoring.
Despite the loss, Saint Mary matched Benedictine with one strikeout apiece on the mound and kept pace offensively in a back-and-forth contest, trailing by just two runs as late as the seventh inning.
The Spires will wrap up their final home game in a ten-game stretch tomorrow morning with a single game against KCAC foe, the Ottawa University Braves, with first pitch set for 10:00 a.m.
