Pirates swept in four-game, two-city weekend series against St. Louis

The North Central Missouri College baseball team was unable to take the momentum from last weekend’s (February 25th and 26th) sweep of Three Rivers into a four-game set against St. Louis, falling to the Archers in four-straight games over this past weekend.

Saturday’s games were played at Burleigh Grimes Field in Trenton, where the Pirates were shutout in Game #1, 5-0.  Kylan Easley fired six innings of quality baseball for North Central, holding St. Louis to five runs (four earned), while Enrique Madera and Connor Quick each had two hits, but the Pirates failed to get a run-inducing rally.

In Saturday’s second game, the Pirates lost a slugest to STLCC 18-13.  St. Louis had an 8-1 lead after two innings of play, and the Pirates, helped by strong middle relief work from Angel Reyes, North Central’s bats had rallied the Pirates to within 12-10.  A grand slam homer for the Archers, one pitch after a controversial two-strike “ball” was called, took the wind out of the NCMC sails.  Wade Phillips took the loss, giving up eight runs in 1 2/3 innings of work.

On Sunday afternoon, the teams made the 4 1/2 hour jaunt southeast to St. Louis Community College, with the pitching vastly improved, but the results the same, as the Archers took the sweep.

The first game was 3-2 St. Louis, as Blake Collister of the Pirates matched Eastern Illinois University signee Ben Stephens of St. Louis from the pitching bump.  Brendley Martina had half (2 of 4) of the hits from the North Central offense, and scored twice.  A strikeout, with the potential go-ahead run at second base, ended the game.

Game 2 saw the Pirates lose a 2-1 8th inning lead in falling 4-2.  In a no-decision, Trae Brownell started and fired 5 2/3 effective innings for the Pirates.  Relief pitcher Bo McSpadden was saddled with the loss.

The North Central offense struggled once again in the match-up with the Archers pitching, picking up three singles in the game.

NCMC is now 5- 7 overall and 4-4 in Region 16 play.  The Pirates will play Highland Community College on Tuesday in neutral site action at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.