Game 1
The Benedictine Mesa baseball team battled back multiple times but fell to Westcliff University, 8–7, on a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth in Game 1 of Friday's doubleheader.
Benedictine struck first in the second inning when
Cooper Jeffries scored on an RBI groundout by
AJ Fernandez. Westcliff responded with a three-run third inning and added another run in the fourth to take a 4–1 lead.
The Redhawks answered in the fifth as
Oliver Davies and
Anthony Setticasi reached base before
Ben Schnurman delivered a two-run double to cut the deficit to 4–3. After Westcliff added a run in the sixth, Benedictine surged ahead in the seventh when
Zeus Durazo singled and Davies followed with a two-run home run. Setticasi later doubled in
Jack Moore to give the Redhawks a 6–5 advantage.
Westcliff tied the game in the eighth, but Benedictine regained the lead in the ninth on an RBI single by Jeffries. The Eagles responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to secure the 8–7 win.
Game 2
Benedictine bounced back in Game 2, using aggressive baserunning and timely hitting to earn a 5–4 victory and split the doubleheader.
The Redhawks scored first in the opening inning as Davies came home on a
Schnurman sacrifice fly. Benedictine added another run in the third when Davies singled, stole second and third, and scored on another Schnurman sac fly.
After Westcliff took a 4–2 lead through five innings, Benedictine closed the gap in the fifth on an RBI single by
Setticasi. The Redhawks took the lead for good in the seventh, capitalizing on a wild pitch to tie the game before
Ethan Graham was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in the go-ahead run.
Benedictine's defense retired Westcliff in order in the seventh to secure the win.
Key Players
Looking Ahead
The Redhawks return to action
Saturday, February 7, as they continue the series against Westcliff.
