Posted: Apr 06, 2012
Box Score Game Two
FAYETTE, Mo. - A Neil Hansen�walkoff RBI single highlighted two Central Methodist baseball victories over Graceland on Friday in Heart of America Athletic Conference action at Estes Field. The Eagles (12-14, 5-7 HAAC) defeated the Yellowjackets (17-18, 8-6 HAAC) by scores of 6-5 in eight innings and 5-0 and have now won four straight games.
Graceland jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning of game one. With his team up by two runs, a Bryan Couch two-run homer to left field doubled the visitor's margin.
Central Methodist cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third inning. Neal DeMartin laced a single up the middle to score Mike Allen and Steve Bazner. After the Yellowjackets scored one run in the top of the sixth, the Eagles tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Daniel Peters doubled to right field, scoring Hansen to trim the difference to 5-3. With two outs in the bottom of the inning and�on a 2-2 count, DeMartin hit the ball high into left field.�Several Graceland defenders lost the ball in the sun, allowing it to drop while scoring Peters and Brian King to tie the game.
Dustin Ray led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a double to right field. He later scored on Hansen's bases-loaded, RBI single to right field.
Rhett Quinlan (3-3) picked up the win in game one. He fired a complete game, allowing five earned runs on 11 hits while striking out five. Quinlan threw 134 pitches in the contest, 84 of those for strikes.
Carlos Mercado (0-2) took the loss, pitching one-third of an inning in relief, giving up one earned run on four hits.
In game two, Ray and Peters each had RBI hits in the second and third innings, respectively, to get the home team on the board. The Eagles added three runs in the bottom of the fifth, with two coming off a Matt Gessner single before he scored on a throwing error.
Drew Greiwe (3-2) earned the victory in game two, throwing a complete game, two-hitter. He also struck out 10 and tossed 119 pitches in the game, 69 of which were strikes.
Euddi Ortega (4-4) dropped the decision. He allowed five earned runs on eight hits in six innings.
Both teams will�return to�Estes Field on Saturday�for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
