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Box Score 2 AUBURNDALE, Florida – The MSOE baseball team opened the 2017 season with a pair of losses to St. Mary's (Minn.) Sunday afternoon on its first day at the RussMatt Invitational.
The Raiders (0-2) fell behind early in both games and could not recover against the Cardinals (2-0), 15-3 in game one and 10-3 in the day's second game.
In the opener, SMU scored twice in the first inning and four times in the fourth to open a 6-0 lead. It would break out during an eight-run sixth inning and cap its scoring with a single run in the eighth.
MSOE committed four errors in the game and senior starter Jacob Roley (0-1) was charged with five earned runs in 3.0 innings. He surrendered six hits but did strike out five in the abbreviated outing. Three other pitchers combined to finish out the seven innings, including a pair of freshmen making their collegiate debuts.
At the plate, senior Brandon McCumber hit his first collegiate home run and sophomore Nick Gross hit two triples to lead the way. Junior Jimmy Carrington hit a sacrifice fly to score Gross after the first of his three-baggers to open the scoring in the fourth inning and McCumber followed with a home run to left field to make it 6-2.
The Raiders capped their scoring with a run in the sixth inning with a bases-loaded hit batter.
A two-out error in the first inning of game two put the Red & White behind the eight ball as St. Mary's capitalized with a two-out rally for five unearned runs.
MSOE did pull three runs back to make it 5-3. Carrington hit a two-out, bases loaded single through the left side in the third inning. Then, freshman D.J. Ellifson plated two runs with a two-out, bases loaded single to left field in the fourth inning.
The Cardinals answered right back with a five-run bottom of the fourth inning and never looked back in completing the sweep.
Sophomore Sam Crawford (0-1) threw 4.0 innings and was charged with all 10 runs, but just five earned. He struck out six batters and walked two. Junior Trevor Symbal worked two scoreless innings of relief with one strikeout.
Ellifson added a double to finish game two with a pair of hits. Junior Garrett Willems also collected two hits in the game.
The Raiders return to action Monday with a doubleheader against Waynesburg. Game one starts at 10 a.m. central time.
