Pioneers downed in final two against Ecclesia

March 15, 2021

by Dustin Semore, Sports Information Director

LONOKE, Ark. - After a pair of walk-off wins on Friday, Crowley's Ridge could not keep the magic going, falling in both Saturday contests. The Pioneers fell to the Ecclesia (Ark.) College Royals 4-3 in the first game, before falling 16-1 in the second.

GAME ONE

Ecclesia - 4

Crowley's Ridge - 3

Consistently scoring runs early, Ecclesia (9-4) plated two runs in the top of the first inning thanks to Cole Howard's two-run double to deep center.

Meanwhile, Crowley's Ridge (9-6) struggled to get contact against Royal hurler Matthew Threatt. The senior struck out the Pioneer side in the third inning. Scoring two more runs in the top of the fourth, Ecclesia led 4-0.

In their second trip through the lineup, the Pioneers started to get a feel for Threatt's pitching, adding four hits in the bottom of the fourth. Three straight singles from Bobby Wright, Trey Gossett, and an RBI single Austin Gross put the Pioneers on the board. Brady Becerra would later drive in Gossett with a single to cut the Ecclesia lead to 4-2.

Wright's single in the fifth inning scored Nate Finney to put the Pioneers down by a single run. Then the home half of the seventh inning seemed eerily familiar to Friday's contests in which Austin Gross hit game-winning singles in both games. With Finney being the tying run at third base, and the winning run in Noah Overshine standing in scoring position at second, Gross stepped to the plate with two outs looking to continue his clutch performance. Gross put a charge into a pitch but was hit right to the left fielder, who clasped the fly to give Ecclesia the 4-3 victory.

Corbett Seib went the distance for the Pioneers, striking out seven Royals in as many innings pitched.

Gross and Wright together teamed up for six of the Pioneers' eight hits, both tallying three knocks.

GAME TWO

Ecclesia - 16

Crowley's Ridge - 1

Tired of the close games, the Royals (10-4) exploded with an 18 hit, 16 run performance in the final game of the weekend set.

The lone run for Crowley's Ridge (9-5) came in the bottom of the sixth inning when Corbett Seib singled home Noah Overshine.

Quickly stamping out any hope of allowing the Pioneers to come back, the Royals scored nine runs off of ten hits - including two homers - in the seventh frame to put the game well out of reach 16-1.

UP NEXT

The Pioneers return to action on Tuesday, March 16th with a visit to North Little Rock, Arkansas, where they will face off with the Mustangs of Central Baptist (Ark.) College. The doubleheader from Burns Park is scheduled for game one's first pitch to be thrown at noon.