SUTTON, Neb. – The York University baseball team lost a pair of one-run games to Evangel on Friday by scores of 13-12 and 10-9 in eight innings.
The Panthers are now 19-24 on the year, including 11-19 in KCAC action.
Down 2-0 in the bottom of the first, York countered with four runs.
Secundino Morales drew a walk as did
Cesar Galvan.
Ian Heck's single loaded the bases for
Ryan Romero, who lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to make it 2-1.
Daniel Polo blasted a three-run round-tripper over the right field wall for a 4-2 edge.
The teams traded runs in the second stanza as Reeve's base knock plated C. Larson to make it 5-3. Polo tacked on an RBI base hit to left in the third, driving in
Isaac Stark for a 6-3 advantage.
Leading 6-4 in the fourth, Morales doubled in Reeve and Grant, as both had singled previously. The Valor countered with eight runs in the fifth frame for a 12-8 lead. Evangel added a run in the seventh for a five-run margin.
In the seventh, the Panthers pulled within two. With the bases full, Reeve drew a walk. Grant lifted a sacrifice fly that plated Stark before Morales' fly ball allowed Larson to cross home plate.
York made it one-run game in the ninth frame.
Nicholas DeMonte reached on an error and Stark came in as a pinch runner. Grant's base hit pushed him to second base. Morales roped a double to left field to score one, but the home team could not tie the contest.
For the game, Heck had three hits. Grant, Morales, Polo and Reeve had two hits each. Morales and Polo each drove in four while Larson and Polo scored twice apiece.
On the mound, Heck got the start and had seven strikeouts.
Ruben Colliander saw time on the bump before
Cole Doebele tossed the final 4.2 innings with six strikeouts.
Game two saw York take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. With one down, Reeve singled, and Grant walked to put two on. Morales doubled both in and scored on Galvan's RBI groundout.
Evangel scored five in the fourth and made it 7-3 in the sixth inning, but the Panthers got a run back in the bottom of the stanza when Romero blasted an offering over the right field wall to make it 7-4. The visitors extended the advantage with two runs in the seventh.
York continued to battle. DeMonte was hit by a pitch and Stark entered as a pinch runner. After going to second on a balk, he made it to third on a Grant base hit. Stark scored when Morales reached on a throwing error. Galvan singled home Grant to pull within three at 9-6.
With the bases still loaded, Romero was hit by a pitch, plating Morales to make it a two-score contest. A wild pitch allowed
Tyren Dorrance to cross home plate, who had entered as a pinch runner for Galvan. Another wild pitch plated Larson, knotting the contest at 9-9.
The visitors managed to plate the game-winning run in the eighth while York was unable to knot the score.
For the game, Galvan, Morales and Romero had two RBI apiece. Grant and Morales each crossed home plate twice.
On the mound,
James McCown got the start and struck out two in 3.1 innings.
James Mockry also had two strikeouts in 3.1 innings. Jackson van Roekel recorded an out while
Sam Maudsley tossed the eighth inning.
The Panthers return to action tomorrow when they host Evangel for the final game of the series starting at 12 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at Yorkpanthers.com.
