Box Score CRESTWOOD, Ill. – A seventh-inning error cost Roosevelt on Friday afternoon at Ozinga Field as the Lakers dropped a 1-0 contest to St. Xavier in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference action in Crestwood.
It what quickly became a pitchers' duel between both teams, the Lakers and Cougars managed just five hits combined in the game. However, it was St. Xavier's first hit of the game off Kerry Zeese that put the eventual winning run in motion. Zeese navigated through the first six innings without much issue, retiring the Cougars in order in the second through sixth frames. He opened the seventh inning with his 10th strikeout of the game before St. Xavier broke through with a single into left field.
St. Xavier tried to put down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner over, but an error from Hunter Darst behind the plate allowed both runners to advance safely. A walk loaded the bases with one out, but Roosevelt could not turn the double play fast enough, and the only run of the game scored on the fielder's choice. Zeese issued one more walk before leaving the game after 6 2/3 innings in which he allowed just one hit and struck out 10 with six walks.
Roosevelt (17-11, 6-6) had its chance to take the lead in the fifth inning after the Lakers managed just a single walk in the first four innings. Sherman Martin led off the fifth with a single then stole second to put himself in scoring position. The senior advanced to third on a groundout to put the go-ahead run 90 feet away with two outs, but that second hit did not come to score Martin.
Sean Blanchard led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, but was erased on a Martin fielder's choice. Martin stole second with two outs again, but a deep fly to center field stranded him on the basepaths yet again. Daniel Gutierrez registered Roosevelt's third hit with a one-out single in the ninth inning, but was left at second base to end the game.
It was the second tight loss in two days for the Lakers, who fell 7-6 on Thursday in the completion of their game against Olivet Nazarene in Bourbonnais. The game was suspended on March 26 with the score knotted at 2-2 in the fourth inning, and the Tigers quickly untied the game with two quick runs in the bottom of the fourth after the game resumed. Yet it Roosevelt had its chances to win with its final scheduled at-bats in the seventh inning.
Ben Compton was hit by a pitch then Bryce Hayman worked a walk to put the first two runners on. Gutierrez laid down a crisp bunt single to load the bases and Jojo Mack walked to drive in a run before Blanchard recorded the first out. Darst gave the Lakers a 5-4 lead with a double into the gap in right center then Jaylen Heard drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to give the Lakers a two-run advantage.
However, a pair of one-out walks came back to haunt the Lakers in the bottom half of the inning as the Tigers strung consecutive singles off Noah Mathias to tie the game. Mathias was able to escape to extra innings with the game tied thanks to two fielder's choices when the Lakers were able to throw out the lead runner.
The Lakers were able to load the bases in the top of the eighth, but a deep drive to centerfield was caught for the third out. In the bottom of the eighth, Connor Houlahan plunked three of the five batters he faced to allow a walk-off winner.
Roosevelt will try to snap a three-game losing streak Saturday against St. Xavier with a doubleheader starting at noon at Ferrell Field, the Cougars' Chicago home.
