The Westminster baseball team faced Union College based out of New York on Tuesday, the third day of their spring break trip in Florida. The Westminster Blue Jays dropped both games, suffering their first two losses of the trip. The 9-7 game one loss and 4-1 game two loss brings the Blue Jays to 7-3 on the season.
Game One
The Blue Jays quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first with senior Tim Chambliss scoring on a RBI from junior Tyler Branneky and junior Deion Hughes scoring an unearned run on a passed ball. Union scored one run in the bottom of the first, and the next three innings were quick.
In the top of the fifth, the Blue Jays scored two more runs to jump out to a 4-1 lead. Senior Cam Backes ripped a RBI double to score freshman Adam Mundle, and sophomore Connor Hager hit a sacrifice fly to center field to bring in Backes. In the bottom of the fifth, Union put up three runs off five hits to knot up the game at 4-4.
The Blue Jays took back the lead in the sixth when Branneky scored on a passed ball. Junior A.C. Long hit a RBI single later in the inning to score freshman Chris Asher, and Backes hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score sophomore Nick Cessna.
Heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Blue Jays held the 7-4 advantage. After a two RBI double by Union, the Blue Jays brought in junior pitcher Collin Brinker, but Union scored three more runs to take the 9-7 lead.
The Blue Jays left two stranded on base in the seventh, ending the game with a 9-7 loss.
The Blue Jays finished the game with eight hits. Chambliss and Branneky led the offense with two hits each.
Brinker suffered the loss on the mound. He pitched 2/3 of an inning, but allowed two runs. Senior Jake Rule started on the mound and pitched 5.1 innings.
Game Two
The first two innings of game two were quick innings, but Union warmed up their bats in the third inning and grabbed four runs off five hits. The next three innings at the plate for the Blue Jays were three up-three down, but they limited Union to just two hits.
In the bottom of the sixth, junior Ryan Loethen singled and was brought in by Hager's RBI double.
The next inning was scoreless, ending the game with a 4-1 loss.
Sophomore Jake Lund suffered the loss at the mound. He pitched six innings and struck out four.
The Blue Jays continue their Florida spring break trip with a single nine inning game on Wednesday, March 25, versus Rochester Institute.
