In their first game of the season against a team not ranked in the top 10, the Dirtbags cruised to a 7-2 victory over Valparaiso at Blair Field.
The LBSU bats were hot early, as The Beach (3-3) started by getting its first four runners on base. Designated hitter Ino Patron had the honors of driving in the Dirtbags’ first runs, as an RBI single pushed leadoff hitter Colby Brenner across the plate. Valpo starting pitcher Kyle Wormington walked in another run before the inning was over.
The Crusaders (1-3) got one back in the top of the second, as a two-out error by LBSU shortstop Michael Hill essentially gave Valpo an early Christmas gift. The visiting team would score again in the fourth to tie the game, but starting pitcher Shane Carle settled in and finished his start with three scoreless innings.
“I just tried to focus on each pitch and not get too caught up in what happened before,” Carle said.
The Beach took the lead back on a two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth. A pair of Valpo errors allowed catcher Eric Hutting and Brenner to score and give the Dirtbags a 4-2 advantage.
After being retired in order in the fifth, LBSU added three runs of insurance and put the game out of reach in the sixth. Left fielder Josh Guerra led off the inning with a single, and Hill followed suit before Brenner reached base on an error to load the bases. Second baseman Jeff McNeil then lined a clutch single into right field that drove in Guerra and Hill, who was called safe on a play at the plate.
Ty Provencher and Nick Rosetta took the mound in relief for the Dirtbags and followed Carle’s example by combining for a pair of shutout inning(s). The win got LBSU to .500 for the first time this season.
Carle earned the win after giving up just one earned run in seven innings. He struck out six while only walking one batter. Head coach Troy Buckley said that even with Carle’s high-quality performance, he wouldn’t name a permanent Friday-night starter just yet.
“Our pitching is a work in progress,” he said. “Wherever they go is kind of irrelevant because every game is big.”
Buckley did say, however, that Saturday games were important because of their affect on the outcome of a series.