May 2, 2014
Box Score
VALPARAISO, Ind. - Trent Drumheller went 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored, while Ian Yetsko finished with two hits and drove in a run as the Oakland baseball team (7-27, 2-14 HL) lost in extra innings to Valparaiso (17-23, 7-9 HL), 5-4 in 11 innings, Friday afternoon at Emory G. Bauer Field.
"It's disappointing that we couldn't close it out today," said coach John Musachio. "Jason (Hager) pitched an outstanding game. Once again we were not able to execute little things late. We didn't get a squeeze bunt down in the ninth that would have given us a two-run cushion. Bottom of the ninth we unravel and hit two guys in a row to tie the game. You would think that by this time of the year the game would start to slow down but we have not shown we have a killer instinct yet."
Valpo won the game in the bottom of the 11th inning as Spencer Mahoney singled to drive in Ray Bartolomucci who led off the inning with a single. The Crusaders sent the game to extra innings in the ninth inning as Chris Manning was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to tie the game at 4-4.
Oakland would get on the board first with two runs in the second inning as Jake Morton walked with the bases loaded followed by a sacrifice fly by Drumheller to plate Spencer Marentette. The Golden Grizzlies added one run in both the sixth and seventh innings as Yetsko singled to score Zach Sterry in the sixth and Mike Brosseau drove in Drumheller with a single in the seventh.
Down 4-0 in the eighth inning, Valparaiso cut the lead to 4-3 led by Manning who doubled in two runs.
Starter Jason Hager tossed 7.1 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts. Logan Sparkman suffered his fourth loss of the season throwing 2.2 innings in relief allowing two runs with three strikeouts. Valpo's Karch Kowalczyk earned the win with 2.2 shutout innings in relief allowing just two hits.
Oakland finished the game with four runs on 14 hits with two errors, while Valparaiso had five runs with 11 hits and did not commit an error.
The Golden Grizzlies will play game two of this three-game Horizon League series on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
#FightOakland
