April 29, 2010

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

ADRIAN, Mich. - Senior righthander Josh Lancaster needed a big start after Adrian lost the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday against Albion and he delivered a complete game victory for the Bulldogs as the teams split a twinbill at Nicolay Field.

Adrian fell 6-3 in Game 1 and Lancaster took the ball in Game 2 and held Albion to one run on seven hits in the nightcap. He improved to 7-1 on the bump and walked one with five strikeouts in arguably his best start of the season. He allowed two or fewer earned runs for the fourth time this season. Lancaster lowered his season ERA to 4.05 and leads the team with seven wins on the mound.

In Game 1, the Bulldogs had two golden opportunities to make some noise and cut into a three-run deficit. In the fifth and sixth inning, the Bulldogs left the bases loaded and for the game left eight runners on base. Adrian led 2-1 after one inning as Chuck DeClarke hit a solo shot for Albion and then in the bottom half it was Nate Sarkissian hitting his sixth homer of the season. His two-run shot to left gave Adrian a one-run lead.

The Bulldogs led 3-2 after three innings as Alex Cowart broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the third with a RBI double to the gap in left center. Albion's big inning was a three-run fourth which gave them a 5-3 lead. Pete Salens had a RBI ground-rule double in the frame and Chad Gromek followed with a two-RBI single to stretch the lead to two.

Adrian's inability to drive home any runs with the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth really took the wind out of any comeback in the seventh. Zac Neal had a RBI double in the sixth inning to push across the final run for the Britons. Ryan Domschot (5-2) lost for the first time in five starts as he allowed nine hits but just three earned runs. He struck out a season-high 10 hitters and walked just one in seven innings. Adrian had six hits as Cowart had a pair of hits in three at-bats.

In Game 2 it was tied 1-1 after three innings as both teams scored a run in the third. Gromek had a two-out RBI infield single to give Albion a 1-0 lead. The inning started with runners on first and third with no outs, but a strikeout and pickoff at first for a double play shifted momentum back to the Bulldogs. Jason Greer drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom half to tie things at 1-1. The two-out walk came after Adrian loaded the bases with no outs and came up empty in the next two at-bats.

Adrian scored twice in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. Cody Meyer had a RBI double and Brian Bilius had a RBI single up the middle for the scoring plays. Adrian again left the bases loaded and left 10 on base in Game 2. The Bulldogs gave themselves a four-run cushion with two more runs in the fifth. Steve Vanderheyden hit a leadoff home run to left for his second of the year and Cappelletty scored on a fielding error after Meyer singled to right.

Meyer went 2-for-2 in Game 2 and Adrian had nine hits with eight different players having at least one hit. These two teams will continue their four-game series tomorrow at Albion with a doubleheader. The first pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. Adrian maintains a four-game lead in the MIAA standings as three teams are tied for second (Albion, Hope, Trine) with six games remaining in the regular season.