| The College of Eastern Utah shortstop makes a running throw to nail the runner at first. |
It was a series in which a run here or a run there could have changed the outcome of any of the games. CEU went down to defeat this weekend to SLCC 4-5, 2-6, 1-2 and 3-4. Other than game two, each of the games was decided by a single run.
Cole Evans had a promising start in game one as both teams were held scoreless for three innings before they both broke out with a three run third. The Bruins tacked on another in the fourth to take the lead. They added an insurance run in the sixth. The Eagles came back with a run in the seventh but fell short of sending the game into extra innings. Evans was credited with the loss and gave up all four Bruin runs.
The Eagles jumped out early in game two with two in the first. Fernando Martinez was on the mound for CEU and kept the lead until the fifth. He gave up a pair to give SLCC a 3-2 lead. Seth Spainhower came on and gave up three to give the Bruins the biggest margin of victory the entire weekend. CEU was not able to push anything over the plate after the first despite seven hits in the game.
Game three saw the Eagles draw first blood again when they scored in the third. Jayson Madson held the Bruins scoreless for five innings. They finally put a run on the board in the fourth to tie things up. Neither team could break the juggernaut in the fifth, but the Bruins were able to tack on one in the sixth. The Eagle bats remained quiet in the seventh as they lost another close on to SLCC. Madson had a complete game in the loss.
In the final match-up of the series CEU again jumped out on top. They scored once in the first and once in the second but could not hold the lead. Jake Bankowski gave up a pair in the second to let the Bruins back in the game. CEU scored again with a single run in the fifth to take the lead, but SLCC struck back quickly and scored two to take the lead for good. Garret Rose came on in relief to hold the Bruins scoreless the rest of the game, but CEU could not produce any more offense and lost the final game by a single run again.
Finishing up a tough road schedule, the Eagles will head west to Henderson, Nev., for a four game series with the Community College of Southern Nevada. The Eagles sit at 9-19 in the SWAC with a 12-22 overall record. They are nine games back of SWAC leader Souther Idaho. The team will finally get to return home and play the conference leader in front of their home crowd on April 20 and 21.