The Benedictine Mesa Baseball Team faced a challenging weekend against Westcliff University, dropping both games in the series with scores of 6-7 in Game 2 and 5-9 in Game 3.
Game 2 Recap:Â In a thrilling matchup, Benedictine Mesa took an early lead when
Preston Vine-Close advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt and later reached third due to a fielding error by Westcliff's second baseman, allowing
Kyle Fenner to score an unearned run. However, Westcliff quickly leveled the score at 1-1 with a double to left center, which brought Hall to third and allowed Bartholom to score. The Westcliff offense continued to build momentum, and Varney's single through the left side drove in another run, putting them ahead 2-1.
Benedictine bounced back in the sixth inning with
Ethan Graham's single to left field, scoring Willie Tatum and tying the game at 2-2. Westcliff answered back when Parmenter was hit by a pitch, allowing Kimata to score, giving them a narrow 3-2 lead. The seventh inning proved pivotal for Benedictine, as
Jacob Bauler's sacrifice fly brought in
Jack Moore, tying the game again at 3-3. Ivan Santos then singled to score
Carlos Parra, and
Tyler Jackson added to the tally with a single up the middle, driving in two more runs to push Benedictine ahead 6-3.
Despite the strong effort, Westcliff remained relentless. In the eighth inning, Parmenter's single brought Bartholom home, narrowing the gap to 6-4. They continued to chip away, with Avalos doubling to left field to score Parmenter, making it 6-5. In a dramatic ninth inning, Parmenter's crucial single brought in two more runs, ultimately sealing the game for Westcliff with a final score of 7-6.
Game 3 Recap:Â The Redhawks started strong in Game 3, with Willie Tatum hitting a double to left center that brought
Tyler Jackson across home plate for an early 1-0 lead. However, Westcliff responded in the second inning when Wallette's sacrifice fly allowed Kimata to score, tying the game at 1-1. The momentum shifted further as Parmenter doubled to left center, driving in Morgan and giving Westcliff a 2-1 advantage.
Westcliff continued to assert their dominance in the third inning, with Bartholom hitting a two-run homer to left field, bringing in Avalos and extending their lead to 4-1. Morgan added to the scoring with another double, sending Varney home to make it 5-1. The fourth inning saw Varney hit a three-run homer to right field, scoring both Bartholom and Avalos, pushing Westcliff's lead to 8-1. In the sixth inning, Varney continued his strong performance with a single that scored Moo-Young, increasing the lead to 9-1.
Benedictine showed resilience in the seventh inning, starting with
Alec Larson's double to left center that brought in
Cooper Jeffries, narrowing the score to 9-2.  Bauler followed up with a double to right field, scoring Larson and further closing the gap to 9-3. T. Jackson made a powerful statement with a two-run homer to left field, scoring Bauler and bringing Benedictine within striking distance at 9-5. Despite their late-game surge, they couldn't overcome Westcliff's early lead, concluding the contest with a hard-fought 9-5 loss.
Key Performers:
Looking Ahead:Â The Redhawks will aim to bounce back on Monday as they head to Nelson for their next matchup.
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