After game cancelations Saturday and Sunday, the Baker University baseball team was ready to hit the field for its first home games against the University of Saint Mary.
Baker won the first game 4-3. Junior Chris Cummins pitched the first two innings and was followed by juniors Sean McAlister and Zach Durr, sophomore Josh Vossen and freshman James Gricol.
“In the first game we had Cummins going, and he sets the tone pretty well,” head coach Phil Hannon said.
Junior Steven Stewart hit a triple and senior Jared Herbert hit a double, and each scored a run. Senior Brandon Truitt and sophomore Bryan Kindle also scored runs in game one.
Saint Mary bounced back and won game two, 3-1.
“(Saint Mary) kind of came out and scored two runs early and then our pitchers settled in,” Hannon said. “But it seemed like we could never get comfortable at the plate, so we were always struggling to get a run.”
Junior Nathan Wheelock, senior Josh Reed, and freshmen Clay Debban, Thomas Hawkins and Brian Replogle all pitched the second game. Stewart scored the only run for Baker in the seventh inning.
“We had our best opportunity to get back in the ball game and we just came up one hit short from tying it up,” Hannon said.
Despite the loss, Cummins said he has faith in his team and thinks as the season progresses, so will the team.
“The first few games there’s always a little rough patches,” Cummins said. “We just need to stay together as a team.”
BU will be concentrating on getting ready for its first conference game of the season against Culver-Stockton College Saturday.
“If we win one game, we can’t be too relaxed the second game we’ve got to come out with enough power,” junior Joey Orozco said.
Hannon said a total team effort is what will be necessary to be successful this weekend.
“One of our goals is to get in the conference tournament and go deep in the season,” Hannon said.
BU plays its first HAAC game against CSC at 1 p.m. Saturday in Canton, Mo.
“Our biggest thing is we want our guys to stay tenacious and stay hungry for wins because that’s what it’s going to take to get in the conference tournament,” Hannon said.
The Wildcats also play Harris Stow State at noon Sunday in St. Louis and Sterling College at 1 p.m. Tuesday in Sterling.
