LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Spalding University baseball team split a doubleheader against Westminster College on Sunday, losing the first game 11-1, but bounced back to win the nightcap, 5-4 in a 15 inning marathon, in which the Golden Eagles hurled a new NCAA D-III record 26 strikeouts. Spalding improves to 9-6 this season, including 4-2 in the SLIAC and 1-1 in the East Division.
In the first game, the Eagles struggled to get going against Westminster pitcher Deion Hughes, managing just three hits on the preseason All-American. The always reliable
Kyle Olliges had control issues, yielding a season high six walks in five innings while allowing five earned runs. Spalding's only run of the game came in the sixth inning when
Jacob Woodruff singled home
JR Belt to make it 5-1. The Blue Jays countered with six runs in the top of the seventh for the final margin.
Pitching keyed the second game, as Spalding pitchers combined to strike out 26 batters for a new NCAA Division III record. The previous record was held by Norwich University, who struck out 25 batters on April 9th, 2000.
Javier Guerra recorded 12 strikeouts in just five innings while allowing one earned run, but suffered an injury while warming up at the start of the sixth.
Dan Sanders relieved him and struck out four more in two and a third innings before
Jimi Keating came in and struck out 10 batters in seven and two-thirds scoreless innings. The record breaking strikeout came in the 14th inning with Keating blew a strike past Blake Strebler for the third out of the inning.
The Eagles scored the first two runs of the game in the second inning on a
Brad Speek homer and an RBI double by
JR Belt down that left field line. The home run was Speek's first of the year. The Blue Jays tied the game in the fifth on a passed ball then added a run in both the sixth and eighth innings for a 4-2 lead heading into the ninth.
JR Belt led off the ninth inning with an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Belt scored on another Westminster error when the Blue Jay's Adam Mundle and Ryan Loethen collided attempting to catch an
Austin Drake fly ball. Drake would score three batters later on an RBI groundout by
Kam Bruner.
Keating dominated Blue Jays batters in extra innings as no one advanced past second base for the remainder of the game. The Eagles threatened several times putting runners on third with one out in the 12th and 13th inning, but finally broke through in the bottom of the 15th when Drake hit a walk-off single through a drawn in infield.
The Eagles are off until Friday, when they travel to Fontbonne University for a doubleheader. The games are scheduled for 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. EST.
