MACOMB, Ill.-The Centenary baseball team dropped Game 2 of the four-game series with Western Illinois, 9-1, after allowing the Fighting Leathernecks 14 free base runners on Saturday afternoon in Summit League action.
The Gents fell to 10-27 overall and 7-14 in league play with the loss. The final two games will now begin on Sunday at 11 am.
Centenary struggled to find an answer after seeing itself down 3-0 in the second inning. While manufacturing a run in the third on a bases loaded walk by junior Kyle Morton after two hit-by-pitches and two walks, the Gents saw its own troubles sneak up in the bottom of the third when they committed two errors and allowed two free passes for five runs scored for Western Illinois.
Down 8-1 through 3.0 frames, the Fighting Leathernecks starter Ryan Wachholder continued to keep the Centenary hitters at bay, allowing just four base runners over the next 4.0 innings, which included two hits by freshman Pete Rajkovich.
Senior starter Derek Dalzell (2.2,2,8,3,2,1) saw some trouble early, allowing eight runs, three of which were earned on two hits, five hit-by-pitches, two walks in 2.2 innings of work for the loss. The righty fanned one, but fell to 2-7 on the year.
Freshman reliever Ryan Maldonado (5.1,8,1,1,1,0) tossed an impressive 5.1 innings out the pen for his longest outing of his short collegiate career. The righty allowed one run on eight scattered hits and one walk.
Rajkovich, who is now riding a nine-game hit streak, led the offense with a 2-for-4 performance, while freshman RJ Talamantes (1x4) picked up the other lone hit for the Gents. Sophomore Matt Creamer scored Centenary's only run after being hit-by-a-pitch in the third.
With rain and wet field conditions hitting the Macomb area early Saturday, the originally schedule double-header was delayed until a 2:20 pm start, therefore pushing the second game of the day to Sunday.
Centenary and Western Illinois will wrap up the final two games of the series on Sunday, beginning at 11 am CT. Live action can be followed at www.goleathernecks.com.
