Langhorne, PA – The Cairn baseball team completed their home schedule on Thursday afternoon with a single game against the Cabrini Cavaliers. The Highlanders left a total of 12 men on base and struggled to capitalize on numerous chances in a 12-8 loss.
The Highlanders left five runners on in the first three frames including the bases juiced in the second, but were unable to plate a run. During the first three frames,
Kameron Bradshaw, was keeping the Cavaliers at bay by keeping them off the base paths. Bradshaw did not allow a hit until the third inning, but it was a costly one.
After a leadoff walk in the top of the fourth, Dylan Butler battled Bradshaw to a full count before depositing the 3-2 delivery over the left field wall for a two-run homer, the first Cavalier hit of the afternoon.
Trailing 2-0, the Highlanders immediately came back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Brendan Keller drove home
Emilio Alvarez and
Keith LeNoue with a two-run triple to straight-away center.
Jacob Allen later drove home Keller with a sacrifice fly to left to give Cairn their first, and only, lead of the afternoon at 3-2.
Cabrini then plated three unearned runs in the fifth thanks, in part, to a costly error in right-field that helped extend the inning. After a leadoff double to left center, a ball was misplayed in right that put runners on second and third. Following a pitching change and a walk, the bases were loaded with no outs.
A groundout to second base allowed the first run of the frame to score before a single to center plated two more and gave the Cavaliers a 5-3 lead.
Aaron Takacs led off the fifth with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch later in the frame, but Cairn was unable to advance him home and the game remained 5-3 into the sixth.
Another costly misplay in the sixth allowed four more runs to come around for Cabrini. While not an error, a misread allowed a fly ball to drop that would have gotten the Highlanders out of the inning unscathed. On the play, two runs came around to score. A bad hop and a strong single later, the Cavaliers held a 9-3 lead.
Cairn scored one in the bottom of the sixth, by way of an error on the right fielder, but left two men in scoring position and the Cavaliers led 9-4 heading to the seventh.
After Cabrini plated two more runners in the seventh, the Highlanders again left two runners in scoring position.
Eric Stinglen worked a one-two-three eighth inning and the Highlanders scored four runs in the bottom of the frame to pull within three at 11-8. A walk and a hit-by-pitch put runners on first and second with no outs. After a strikeout, Josh Field singled down the right-field line to score Allen from third.
Daniel Morales followed with a single up the middle to score Field. Later in the inning,
Keith LeNoue singled to right to score two more and the Highlanders trailed 11-8.
In the ninth, the Cavaliers added an insurance run with a solo homer by Joe Aurrite. Cairn then went down in order in the bottom of the frame and Cabrini came away with the 12-8 victory.
Brendan Keller went 4-4 at the dish with a triple, two runs, and two RBI and
Aaron Takacs went 3-5 with a double to lead the Highlanders offensively.
Kameron Bradshaw took the loss on the mound allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks.
The loss drops the Highlanders to 15-17 overall and 5-14 in the conference. The Highlanders will complete the season on Saturday when they play two at Cabrini. Game One is slated to begin at 12:00 p.m.
