| Third baseman Colby Read throws out a runner heading to first during their home-stand vs. Southern Idaho. |
The College of Southern Idaho came sweeping into town, looking to score four wins from a struggling CEU baseball team. But the Eagles did not let them have all the fun as they beat CSI in the top half of a double header Saturday to take 1 of 4 in SWAC action Friday and Saturday.
CEU lost game one 6-2. They lost the second game Friday afternoon 4-0. Saturday afternoon they stepped up and scored a 3-1 win. Then dropped the final game 6-2.
Sophomore pitcher Riley Gordon got the win on Saturday. “He is our most consistent pitcher off the mound,” stated Coach Scott Madsen. “Gordon has a 3-2 record right now.”
Madsen felt like his team had chances all weekend to take control of the games. They left runners stranded in many innings of every game. “We have a young team and they get overexcited when we get runners into scoring position and try to do too much. It usually results in swinging at bad pitches or strike outs.”
Another aspect of his youthful team is they have been letting some of the calls on the field get to them.
In game one on Friday CEU had a runner on second with no outs. A long fly allowed the runner to tag and advance to third. CSI threw to second and appealed that the runner had left base early.
The third base ump called him safe and the first base ump called him out. After a huddle of the officials the runner was called out. CEU never seemed to recover their momentum and the game went from 2-1 to 5-1 in the next inning. Madsen acknowledged that his team is influenced too much by those types of calls and the momentum of the game.
But he still sees them making progress and sticking in and fighting until the end.
He was happy with the offense for the most part. Second baseman Brad Thomas has moved into the lead off role and is hitting well. Colby Read continues to blast the ball hard. A local player from Ferron, Trever Thomas has hit well and is playing some solid ball.
CEU will have a long home stand and will be playing at the Carlson-Colosimo field for the next four weekends.
They take on Western Nevada Community College this weekend with doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday. Friday’s games are at 1 p.m. and 3 pm. Saturday’s first pitches are thrown at noon and 2 p.m.