CRESTWOOD, Ill. - A single fifth-inning run scored by Olivet Nazarene proved to be the difference in the Roosevelt baseball team's Standard Bank Stadium opener on Wednesday, as the Lakers' offense couldn't muster an answer in a 1-0 loss to the Tigers.
Olivet moved to 16-10 overall and 5-2 in conference play, while Roosevelt dropped to 3-8 and 2-5 in the CCAC.
Tiger pitcher Ben Heller stymied the Roosevelt batsmen, tossing a complete-game shutout and fanning six Lakers.
Roosevelt starter Alex Van Ness allowed just one run on eight hits in four-plus innings, while reliever Liam Pegg pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless work.
Olivet Nazarene scored the game's lone run in the fifth, when Alex Cavender was hit by a Van Ness offering to lead off the frame. Stefan Sauder came in to pinch run and eventually landed on third base after a sac bunt and a passed ball. Justin Fahy then drove him in on a ball that dropped just inside the left field line for a double that ended Van Ness' day.
Roosevelt held Olivet's dangerous running game in check in the opener, not allowing a stolen base to the nation's fourth-ranked team in steals. The Lakers' outfield also had two magnificent assists to protectthe plate, as rightfielder Danny Haze ignited a 9-2-5-1 putout after a hit in the third and leftfielder Sam Burnoski threw out a Tiger runner at home to end the next inning.
The Lakers had their chances, including a final-inning opportunity that stalled. Jordan Gosztola led off with a single up the middle, but pinch runner Anthony Carby was picked off of first just before Dylan Grabowski singled to left. Grabowski was then gunned down trying to steal second, and after Nate Bukowski walked with two away, Brett Sklena grounded out to Heller to end the contest.
"We ran into a buzzsaw," said Roosevelt head coach Steve Marchi, referring to Heller. "The kid's a good pitcher. I liked the fact that we put together some good at-bats against him, especially the first couple times around when we got down early in counts but we put together some good at-bats and got the barrel on the ball quite a few times. We just couldn't find a hole.
"He's one of the better pitchers in our league, so we have to be happy with the fact that we could put some good at-bats together."
Four different Lakers had hits, and Haze drew a pair of free passes.
The two teams square off in a nine-inning nightcap of Wednesday's doubleheader date.
