Baseball drops season opening DH to Eastern Mennonite

Lakeland, Fl- The MCLA Trailblazer baseball team opened their 2013 season in the RussMatt Invitational, dropping a pair of games to Eastern Mennonite University.  The Trailblazers fell 5-2 in the opener, before falling 9-0 in game two.  The Royals improve 11-8 overall while MCLA is 0-2.

In game one, Adam Posey went the distance to earn the complete game win.  He scattered four hits and struck out three.  EMU scored first when Zach Bowles scored in the second on Justin Rodriguez' infield single making it 1-0.  MCLA quickly answered in the bottom half using a Cody Weaver sacrifice fly to score Rory Slattery who had singled.

The teams traded runs over the next two innings before the Royals took control in the top of the seventh.  EMU pushed three runs across on four hits to close out MCLA.  The Trailblazers never threatened in the home half.

Ross Miner went five innings for MCLA.  He allowed just one earned run.  Robert Jutras was saddled with the loss in his debut for the Trailblazers.

In game two, the Royals scored twice in the second inning and never looked back.  EMU would tack on a single run in the third inning before exploding for six runs over the final two frames against the MCLA bullpen to earn the decisive victory.

Tyler Benoit suffered the loss for MCLA, hurling the first four innings.  He allowed three runs and surrendered five hits.  Daniel Stanley earned the shutout giving up just four hits and striking out ten Trailblazers.

Mike Sullivan had three hits on the afternoon for MCLA.  Mike Mancivalano was the only other Trailblazer with a two hit day.

MCLA is back in action on Sunday when they challenge Curry in a doubleheader set for 11:30am.