- Posted in All University
- Category: AthleticsCampus News
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. – The Lincoln University baseball team snapped an 11-game losing streak in the first game of an East Coast Conference doubleheader, and nearly completed a sweep, before falling in the nightcap.
Lincoln (5-18 overall, 5-12 ECC) returns to the field 1 p.m. Saturday to complete its final home series of the season. Before the nine-inning game, the Lions will recognize the contributions of seven seniors – Willie Hines (Bowie, Md./Bowie) (Bowie, Md./Bowie), Malcolm Smith (Los Angeles Calif./Susan Miller Dorsey) (Los Angeles, Calif./Susan Dorsey), Max Guadalupe (Brooklyn, N.Y./HS of Telecommunication Arts) (Brooklyn, N.Y./HS of Telecommunications), Rolando Alvarez (Brooklyn, N.Y./Nazareth Regional) (Brooklyn, N.Y./Nazareth Regional), Elias Beltre (New York, N.Y./LAM International School) (New York, N.Y./LAM International), Bradley Regalado (Queens, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin Memorial) (Queens, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin) and Kashif Hill (Brooklyn, N.Y./Benjamin Banneker Academy) (Brooklyn, N.Y./Benjamin Banneker Academy).
GAME ONE: LINCOLN 10, BRIDGEPORT 4
Junior Trevon Sutton (Chicago, Ill./Harlan Community Academy), 3-5, (Chicago, Ill./Harlan Community Academy) hurled his second complete game of the season, allowing four earned runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts.
Lincoln got some early offense, mostly thanks to Bridgeport wildness, to give Sutton some early support, and then sealed the victory with a four-run eighth.
The Lions scored a pair of runs on four walks and a hit batter in the bottom of the first, and added a pair of runs in the bottom of the second.
Bridgeport did the bulk of its damage with single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Lincoln stemmed the tide with individual runs in the fourth and sixth innings before the aforementioned game-sealing eighth.
Beltre led the offensive onslaught, going 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and a team-high three RBI. Four other Lions – Hill, Guadalupe, Jefry Azcona (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic), and Josh Shepherd (Bowie, Md./Bowie) (Bowie, Md./Bowie) – had a pair of hits in the win.
GAME TWO: BRIDGEPORT 10, LINCOLN 6 (9 innings)
Unlike the first game, Lincoln couldn't have its early lead stand-up in losing in extra innings to Bridgeport in the nightcap.
An RBI double by Beltre in the first and a three-run blast by Hines in the second had the Lions roaring with a 4-0 lead.
Bridgeport trimmed its deficit in half with two runs in the fourth and then knotted it up with a two-out, two-run single in the sixth inning.
Lincoln had a chance to reclaim the lead in the sixth but left a lead-off double stranded at second. The Lions had runners on base in the fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings – including in scoring position in the fourth and sixth innings. In all, LU left five runners on base.
A throwing error in the ninth inning cracked open the door in the ninth, and the Purple Knight busted through with six runs in the frame. Lincoln scored two in the bottom half, and had the tying run on deck, but couldn't sustain the rally.
Hines finished 3-for-5 with a triple, home run, two runs scored, and four RBI, while Beltre was 2-for-3 with a double.
Despite being saddled with the loss, freshman Leon McKnight (Philadelphia Pa./Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter), 0-1, (Philadelphia, Pa./Sankofa Freedom Academy) turned in a stellar performance in relief. The lefty, who has only thrown seven innings total heading into the game, tossed three scoreless innings before running into trouble in his fourth frame.
A hit batter started the inning, a throwing error and a walk loaded the bases and ended McKnight's outing. A sacrifice fly broke the tie, and a pair of walks brought home another run.
Then the Purple Knights poured it on.
