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PHILADLPHIA, Pa. – Chicago State baseball split a pair of games at La Salle on Sunday (March 17) afternoon. The Cougars game won game one 6-1, which was a continuation of Saturday's snow halted affair. The Explorers bounced back for a 7-0 victory over the Cougars in game two.
Game 1: Chicago State 6, La Salle 1
Saturday's game was suspended in the top of the fifth with the score tied 1-1 and sophomore
Mattingly Romanin (Burlington, ONT/Notre Dame) on first. The Cougars went right to work when the game resumed. A double by junior
Jake Peltz (Alliance, Neb./Alliance) scored Romanin. Sophomore
Aveeno Nasiloski (Hammond, Ind./Gavit) followed with a single to score senior
Eric O'Brien (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino) who reached by an error. Freshman
Ray Cekus (Chicago, Ill./Taft) then doubled down the right field line, scoring Peltz and Nasiloski. The sequence chased La Salle pitcher Austin Clark, who entered the game when it resumed. However since La Salle starter Shane Hollman (0-3) hit Romanin with a pitch before the game was halted on Saturday, the loss goes to Hollman.
“After the big hoops win last night I think some of that momentum might have carried into today for us,” Chicago State head coach
Steve Joslyn said. “We came out and put some hits together right away.”
The Cougars added another run in the eighth when senior
Joelh Calixto (Chicago, Ill./Guerin) singled with one out and scored on a double by junior
Nathan Poff (Sellersburg, Ind./New Albany).
Meanwhile on the mound senior
Dylan Sterrett (Chalmers, Ind./Frontier) was mowing down the Explorers. Sterrett finished the final five innings by allowing no runs, one walk and five hits. Starter
Eric Hall (Oakville, ONT/Oakville Trafalgar) (1-4) was given the win, he allowed just one run in four innings on Saturday.
“Dylan really challenged hitters,” Joslyn said. “He worked in the zone and La Salle really didn't have a scoring threat.”
Poff, O'Brien and Nasiloski each had two hits for the Cougars.
Game 2: La Salle 7, Chicago State 0
Game two was the polar opposite for the Cougars. La Salle starting pitcher Shawn O'Neill was in control from the start and went the distance. He struck out 10 and allowed just one hit, a single by Calixto in the third. Peltz and Nasiloski earned walks off O'Neill for the Cougars' other base runners. O'Neill improves his record to 1-2.
Senior
James Tucker (Gary, Ind./Calumet) (1-1) turned in a quality start in a losing effort, allowing just two runs (one earned) with two strikeouts over six innings.
“Their pitcher was pretty crafty and we struggled with some plate appearances,” Joslyn said. “Jim deserved a better fate on the mound. He did exactly what we needed from him. We had pretty good starting pitching the entire weekend. If the starting pitching continues, we execute more routine plays, put more balls in play and have better situational hitting we're going to have more success.”
The Explorers scored single runs in the third and fourth before opening it up with three in the seventh and two in the eighth.
Sunday's game with La Salle replaced the originally scheduled game at Temple.
La Salle is now 4-12. Chicago State is 2-14. The Cougars travel to Youngstown State next weekend for a three-game non-conference series starting March 22.
