MARION, Ill. – The Chicago State baseball team fell to Nebraska Omaha I the second day of the Midwest Baseball Classic. The Cougars were led by Andy Gayton who was 2-of-5 from the plate. Rodney Valdes twirled 7.0 innings of work with a season-best 10 strikeouts.
It was a duel between the two pitchers in the first two innings. The Cougars had chances to get on the board in the first inning but they left 2 runners on base.
Judah Wilbur (Denver, Colorado/) got on base in the first at bat after being hit by a pitch. The next two batters didn't make it to base but with two outs,
Richard Paulino (San Pedro de Marcoris, Dominican Republic) was hit by a pitch to give the Cougars a base runner but the inning ended after Paulino was out.
Chicago State also had a chance in the second inning Gaytan opened the inning with a single and stole second base. With a fly out Gayton advanced to third and a walk but
Kilian Bloat (Liberty, N.Y./) on base but the inning ended with a strikeout and the score still deadlocked.
Omaha broke through in the third inning. With a strikeout in the first at bat, the Mavericks put a runner on base with a walk before a home run sent both around the bases. Chicago State answered in the fourth with a triple from Gaytan, who was sent around the bases with a sacrifice fly from
Cole Hansel (Edwardsville, Ill./).
The Mavericks added runs in the fifth and eighth inning to take a 4-1 lead.
Chicago State had chances in the eighth and ninth innings to put some runs on the board. In the eighth, the inning opened with a strikeout before JD Brooks hit a single up the middle. The Cougars had two on base with a fielder's choice but couldn't send anyone around the bases. The ninth was similar. Rocky Pescante hit a leadoff single and Paulino added another single but both were left stranded to end the game.
Up Next
The Cougars will play a doubleheader on Sunday. Opening the day at 11 am against Northern Illinois and at 2:30 pm against Nebraska Omaha.
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