- Cairn University scored six runs in back to back games agaisnt Colonial States Athletic Conference rival Centenary College in doubleheader action, but failed to outscore the Cyclones.
The Highlanders were looking to replicate their 5-4 win against the Cyclones in 2012, their first ever CSAC win, but dropped the first two games of a three-game series.
In game one, Cairn looked in contention for their first conference win of the season after taking a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Freshman
Joey Nieves-Markee and
Jeremy McAlack hit back to back singles, before eventually finding themselves both in scoring position. Nieve-Markee scored from third on a passed ball.
Kenneth Searle made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly, bringing home McAlack. One batter later, it was 3-0 in a season-first. Rookie
Caleb Lang blasted his first-career homerun and the Highlanders first of the season.
The Cyclones made things 3-2 in the bottom half of the third but would have to wait until the fourth inning to tie things up at 3-3.
Cairn responded by reclaiming the lead in the top of the fifth thanks to a couple of walks and a double.
Chad Hollinger, Searle, and Lang were all walked in consecutive order to load the bases, setting the stage for
Austin Arseneau's two run double, giving Cairn a 5-3 advantage.
The lead didn't last long, though, as Centenary quickly bounced back with a seven-run bottom of the fifth, bursting out to a 10-5 lead.
The Highlanders were able to tack on a single-run in the top of the sixth thanks to a
Kyle Parisi triple, a career-first, with Nieves-Markee driving him home with a follow-up single.
Centenary would pile on four security runs in the bottom of the sixth, ensuring victory, and claiming a 14-6 win.
Caleb Lang finished 2 for 2 with one run and RBI each. Arseneau and Nieves-Markee both went 2 for 3.
In the nightcap, there were runs galore to speak of. Cairn, however, was unable to make the most of another 3-0 lead. After scoring three runs in the top of the first, the Highlanders conceeded a total of 16 runs to the Cyclones in the first three innings, falling behind 16-4.
In the fourth inning, the Highlanders added two more runs to their score but would find themselves out of the running later in the inning as Centenary reached 22 runs with six more in the bottom of the fourth. By the end of the game, the score stood at 25-6, with Centenary claiming two home wins and ensuring they won the season series.
Chad Hollinger, Joey Nieves-Markee, and Kenneth Searle each went 2 for 3 in game two. One of Hollinger's hits was a triple, his seasons first, helping him to two runs and two RBIs.
Tomorrow, Centenary will travel to Langhorne, PA for a single nine inning game, starting at 3pm.
