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MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Chicago State baseball held their first lead of the season on Sunday (Feb. 17) at Alabama State thanks to a single run in the first. However three errors in the first two innings, and five in the game, did in the Cougars' attempts to record their first victory of the season as the Hornets won 14-2.
“We had a lot of errors today on some routine plays,” Chicago State head coach
Steve Joslyn said. “Bad team defense all the way around.”
It started well for the Cougars after freshman
Julian Russell (Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech) (Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech) doubled to start the game. He scored two batters later on an RBI single by sophomore
Mattingly Romanin (Burlington, ONT/Notre Dame) (Burlington, ONT/Notre Dame). Romanin then stole second but was stranded in scoring position.
Alabama State tied it with a run in the bottom of the first and took the lead for good with a pair in the third. Both runs were unearned. The Hornets added a lone run in the fourth. Chicago State matched it with a run in the top of the fifth to make the score 4-2. Romanin had the RBI once again. Alabama State scored three runs in their half of the sixth to pull away.
“We had a decent approach at the plate today and put some guys on in scoring position,” Joslyn said. “We ran ourselves out of a couple innings and you just can't do that.”
The Cougars left five runners on base in the first five innings.
Hunter McIntosh (1-0) earned the win for Alabama State. Sophomore
Eric Hall (Oakville, ONT/Oakville Trafalgar) (Oakville, ONT/Oakville Trafalgar) (0-1) suffered the loss.
“For a first weekend we had some positives,” Joslyn said. “All of our starters got into the sixth so that is a plus. Mattingly had a nice start and Julian made some nice plays.”
Chicago State falls to 0-3 on the season while Alabama State, picked to win the SWAC East Division, is 3-0. The Cougars return to the diamond on next weekend with a three-game series at St. Mary's (Calif.) starting on Friday at 2 p.m. PT.
