Bees suffer first loss at CCAC Tournament
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Olivet Nazarene (IL) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 1 |
|
St. Ambrose (IA) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
Photo courtesy Scott McCreary
St. Ambrose managed just five hits in falling to Olivet Nazarene 8-3 in the CCAC Tournament Friday in Joliet, Ill. The loss forces the Bees into an elimination game Saturday against Trinity Christian.
ONU scored three times in the top of the first and SAU had to play from behind the rest of the way. The Bees committed one of their three errors in the frame, allowing two unearned runs to score.
Brandon Matias got one run back in the bottom of the first with a solo home run to left.
The Tigers restored a three-run lead, taking a 4-1 edge in the top of the third. The Bees came back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Adrian Zietara singled and McCreary drew a walk. Matias lifted a sacrifice fly to right to plate Zietara, and Brock Webber followed with a ground out to bring in McCreary to trim the deficit to 4-3.
But that would be it for St. Ambrose.
The Bees threatened in the fourth with Jake Mucha drawing a walk and moving to third with one out on a Joey Fitzgerald sacrifice and a wild pitch. But he was left there. Chris McFarland, who doubled in the seventh, and Webber, who reached on an infield single in the eighth, were the only two SAU baserunners from there.
Brad Niedzwiedz was charged with the loss after allowing four earned runs over 5 1/3 innings. Justin Lane struck out three over the last 3 2/3.
SAU will take on Trinity Christian Saturday at 4 p.m. The winner will face either St. Francis or Olivet Nazarene later Saturday night in another elimination game.