Wildcats Drop Two Baseball Games

Playing in its second doubleheader in less than 24 hours, the University School baseball team lost both games to Waterford in non-conference action Saturday.  The Wildcats lost the first game of the doubleheader 16-6 and the second game 15-5.

USM started out well in each game, but gave up late inning runs in each to lose the lead and eventually the game.

Although disappointed by the losses, USM coach Tim Bartz was philosophical about the day.  “We were tied or ahead in all but four half innings," he said. "A couple of miscues disrupted our confidence and things fell apart.  Our pitching was stretched thin after these two days of doubleheaders. We’ll rebound.”

In the first game, USM went ahead in the second inning.  Jack Minahan started the inning and reached on an error.  He moved to second on a fielder’s choice reached third on a fly out and scored on an error on the throw in to put USM up 1-0. 

The Wolverines scored three in the bottom of the second.  Kyle Reitter led off with a single and advanced to second on an outfield error.  Justin Kurth singled and Tom Dugandzic drove the two runners home with a double.  Dugandizac advanced on an out and scored on a passed ball.

The Wildcats were unfazed by Waterford’s 3-1 lead and scored five runs in the top of the third.  With one out, Patrick Lubar reached on an error.  Josh Baker then walked to put two Wildcats aboard.  Tommy Pennington singled to derive in Lubar.  Nathan Burke walked to load the bases.  Minahan singled to drive in two.  He stole second.  Burke scored on Jake Watton’s single with two outs and a few pitches later Minahan scored on a balk.

The Wolverines edged closer with a run in the bottom of the inning.  Zach Forray led off with a double and scored on Kurth’s one-out double.

USM led 6-4 going into the bottom of the fifth when things fell apart for the Wildcats.  Waterford scored six runs in the inning on a hit, an error and then five straight hits.  The Wolverines then added six more in the bottom of the sixth, an inning that was capped by a three-run homer by Mitch Nelson.  The shot gave Waterford a 10-run lead and concluded the game early.

USM grabbed a quick lead in the second game.  With two out, Baker was hit by a pitch.  Pennington singled and Baker and Pennington then raced home on Burke’s double.

Waterford scored one in the bottom of the first.  With one out, Tanner Hunsucker was hit by a pitch.  He stole second and came home on Joe Sturmo’s single.

USM scored three more runs in the following half inning.  Billy Lawton led off with a walk.  He was replaced by Lane Stanford as a courtesy runner.  Stanford went to second on Joey Judge’s sacrifice bunt. With one out Nishad Agrawal also walked.  Then Jack Wells walked.  Lubar came up and drilled a single to score Stanford, but Agrawal was thrown out on the play. Baker then singled in Wells and Lubar.

Waterford inched closer with two runs in the bottom of the second.  Neslon hit his second home run of the day to lead the inning off and after doubling with out, Dylan Dessart came home on Hunsucker’s double.

Waterford kept USM off the scoreboard for the rest of the game.  The Wolverines scored two in the bottom of the fourth and then 10 more in the bottom of the fifth, an inning that came to a merciful end for USM when Nelson hit his third home run of the day.

Nelson also won the game as the starting pitcher.  Lawton took the loss for the Wildcats.

“We have some things to improve,” said Bartz after the game, “but Waterford is a good Division 1 ball club.  We can learn from what happened.”

Waterford is now 11-3.  USM is 5-6 after the tough weekend.  The Wildcats take their 3-3 Midwest Classic Conference record into a conference tilt against Dominican at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday at USM.