Pioneer Baseball Swept by Wilberforce Bulldogs

Pioneer Baseball Swept by Wilberforce Bulldogs- Wil Teague, Sports Information Director, 3/13/24

Game three:

Crowley's Ridge- 6

Wilberforce University- 7

Cincinnati, OH- CRC had the game-three victory within their grasp as the Pioneers entered the bottom frame of the 7th leading the Bulldogs by two runs for the second time this series but like Deja Vu from yesterday, Wilberforce summoned the desperate hits needed to stay alive in the contest in their final three outs. Wilberforce pushed two runs across in the seventh off three crucial hits to tie the contest and force extra innings extending the game. CRC found themselves on the verge of regaining the lead the next half inning as the first three Pioneer batters reached base with Adonis Thomas' lead-off double, Andrew Brown's single, and James Wilson's walk but the Bulldogs escaped the troublesome inning by striking out the next three Pioneer hitters. With all the Pioneer momentum squashed Wilberforce got their leadoff hitter on in the bottom frame of the eight and soon claimed game three with a sac fly to right field, walking off the Pioneers for the second straight contest. Southpaw Andrew Brown tossed 6.0 innings surrendering four runs on six hits while walking two and striking out five earning the no-decision. The Pioneers scored six runs off ten hits as Adonis Thomas led the team with three hits. James Wilson added two hits for the Pioneers in the loss.

Game Four:

Crowley's Ridge- 8

Wilberforce Unversity- 23

Cincinnati, OH- CRC finally seemed to turn their bad luck around as they produced their most profitable inning of the series in the top frame of the third with the team batting around. CRC sent eleven hitters to the plate scoring five runs off four hits which gave CRC a two-run lead but bitterly for CRC it wouldn't stand. The Pioneers failed to pull away from the Bulldogs as Wilberforce answered with an explosive return of hits and runs, taking back the lead in the bottom half of the inning and then proceeded to open up the floodgates by pouring on a massive wave of runs the following inning. Wilberforce retaliated in the bottom frame of the third with four runs on six hits to retake the lead and then added thirteen more runs off ten additional hits in the fourth to give them a commanding lead en route to their 23-8 win. CRC scored eight runs off nine hits compared to WU's twenty-three runs off twenty-three hits. Kyle Russell took the loss as the relief pitcher allowed eleven hits, surrendering fourteen runs in his 1.1 innings of work. Trey Drake was the only Pioneer with multiple hits in the staggering defeat with two singles. Andrew Brown led the team in RBIs with his two-run homer.  

Up Next: CRC will host Champion Christian at home this weekend in a four-game series set to start on Friday, March 15th at 12:00 PM at Pioneer Park. #GOPIONEERS