LANGHORNE, PA - The baseball team's bid at an upset on Senior Day fell short as the Crimson Eagles dropped consecutive games Friday afternoon to end their season in Langhorne.
With five seniors wrapping up their careers with the PBU baseball team, the squad was unable to produce waves in the NEAC standings as top ranked Cazenovia College held off a pesky Crimson Eagle group that unfortunately squandered several opportune chances on the day.
The Wildcats got the better end of the hosts in game one, pounding the Crimson Eagle pitching staff for eight runs through the first three innings. PBU produced solo scores in the first and third stanzas and chipped in two addition runs in the top of the sixth, but Cazenovia's pitching group managed to fend off the hosts by striking out seven Crimson Eagle batters on the day.
The Wildcats went 16 for 34 from the plate (.471) and walked eight times in the 12-4 win. But it's not as if PBU didn't have their chances. The Crimson Eagles left a season high 13 runners on base in the team's seventh consecutive loss.
Contest number two saw the statistical discrepancy a little more even, but unfortunately the end result remained the same. Cazenovia walked away with an 11-3 triumph after churning out a five run first inning and two more multi-score innings in the five and sixth stanzas.
PBU was once again crippled by double-digit runners left on base (10) and managed just three runs on 11 hits. A combo of defensive blunders by the Crimson Eagles in the fifth and seventh innings proved to be costly for the host squad as Cazenovia made sure to capitolize.
Veteran infielder Joel Dager, who finished in the top 10 in the NEAC in terms of batting average amongst those with 50 or more plate appearances, capped a phenomenal senior season by going two for four at the plate with three walks during his last two games as a Crimson Eagle. Dager finishes the year with a .407 hitting average.
Classmate pitching ace Drew Ridley, who threw 6.2 innings during game one, had his eight game hitting streak snapped Thursday after failing to reach base for the first time this year during the opening outing. Sophomore Bobby Lefko went three for three on the day with a run scored while junior Nate King and senior Brent Fornwalt each chipped in with three hits on the afternoon. Rookie Andrew Hoeckele finished two for three with an RBI.
Friday's events effectively concludes PBU's 2008 season. The baseball team finishes the year with a 7-21 overall record including a 3-11 mark in conference play.
