Langhorne, PA - The Cairn baseball team dropped a pair of games against the Neumann Knights on Saturday afternoon. The Knights took care of the Highlanders in Game One by a 9-1 final. In Game Two the Highlanders led for a majority of the game before falling by a final score of 4-3.

Game One - Neumann defeats Cairn 9-1
In Game One of the doubleheader, the Knights scored eight unanswered runs from the fourth inning on to claim the 9-1 victory. Cairn and Neumann were tied 1-1 heading into the fourth inning, but the Knights pushed across multiple runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth en route to the comfortable victory.
 
It looked like Cairn's starter, Daniel Morales was going to cruise to a three-up, three-down top of the first after retiring the first two batters of the game on a strike out and a fly out, but last year's CSAC Player of the Year, Cody MacNair stepped to the plate and delivered an opposite-field home run to give Neumann a 1-0 lead.
 
The 1-0 lead held into the bottom of the third when Morales reached on a wild pitch after a strike out to lead off the frame. After a sacrifice bunt and another wild pitch, Morales was on third with two away. Jacob Allen chopped a ball to third base, but the throw to first on the routine play pulled the first baseman off the bag and allowed the run to come in to score.
 
Earlier in the game, Morales wiggled out of trouble in the second and third, stranding two runners in each inning. It looked like the lefty was going to escape three-straight jams, but the Knights broke through eventually scoring three runs in the top of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead.
 
Neumann tacked five more runs on in the fifth and sixth and the Highlanders collected just three hits the rest of the way before Neumann won Game One by a 9-1 final.
 
The Cairn offense mustered just four hits in the contest with Jacob Allen, Joshua Field, Alejandro Fernandez, and Emilio Alvarez each collecting singles.
 
The Highlanders committed five errors in the contest, those five errors led to two runs for the Knights.
 
On the mound, Daniel Morales took the loss for the Highlanders falling to 1-1 on the season. He went 4.2 innings and allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out six. Morales worked out of jams in the second and third, before the Knights broke through with big innings in the fourth and fifth.
 
For Neumann, Zach Youngberg went the distance in his first start of the season, allowing one earned run on four hits and one walk while striking out four.
 
At the dish the Knights were led by a 4-5 effort by Cody MacNair. The junior catcher finished the game a triple shy of the cycle with two runs scored and two RBI in the game.

Game Two - Neumann defeats Cairn 4-3
In Game Two, the Highlanders fell behind 1-0 thanks to a run in the top of the first for the Knights. Cairn quickly countered with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame before Brendan Keller hammered his first career home run down the right field line in the bottom of the third. Keller's shot brought home Jacob Allen and Cairn took a 3-1 lead.
 
The Knights scored an unearned run in the fourth before scoring two more in the top of the sixth to take the lead. Cairn put a runner on in the fourth, fifth, and sixth, but the Highlanders were unable to push across a run and fell by a 4-3 final.
 
After falling behind on an unearned run in the top of the first, Cairn scored a run in the bottom of the frame on an RBI double by Brendan Keller. Keller ripped a ball past the Neumann first-baseman and chased home Jacob Allen, who had walked to lead off the frame.
 
After a quiet second inning and a perfect top of the third, the Highlanders stuck for two runs in the bottom of the third. Once again it was the top of the order that did the heavy lifting for Cairn. Allen led off the inning with a single over the first baseman's head. Then on a 3-1 count, it was Keller again that got a pitch to drive. Keller elevated the offering down the right field line and snuck the shot inside the foul pole for his first career home run.
 
Neumann scored another unearned run in the fourth to pull within one at 3-2 before scoring two runs in the top of the sixth. In the sixth, the first two Knights reached on a walk and a single before moving into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt.
 
A fielder's choice cut down a runner at the plate before a two-out double touched down on the left field line to score the tying run. The next batter reached on a throwing error, allowing the go ahead run to score and Neumann took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth.
 
Joshua Field singled to lead off the sixth, but the runner was erased on a double play ball later in the frame. Cairn could not get a runner on in the seventh and eventually fell by the 4-3 final.
 
Emilio Alvarez took the loss in relief, tossing two innings while allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk.
 
As mentioned, Keller led the offense with a two-run homer down the right field line. Keller also doubled and drove home Cairn's first run for a 2-4 day at the dish with three RBI, a double, a home run, and a run scored.
 
The pair of losses drops Cairn to 11-8 on the season (3-5 in the CSAC). Cairn and Neumann will finish the series with a single game in Aston, Pa. tomorrow afternoon beginning at 2:00 p.m.