The Dominican University baseball team dropped their second Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) series of the season, falling 4-3 in ten innings in game one to the Aurora University Spartans before seeing Aurora take game two 6-2. The Stars managed 17 hits on the day but stranded 21 runners in falling to 5-12 on the season and 0-4 in the NACC.
In the series opener, the Stars took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when
Mike Buckley grounded out to first base with the bases loaded but the Stars could not add to the lead, leaving the bases loaded after
KJ Wilk followed with a walk.
After Dominican left the bases loaded again in the top of the fourth, the Spartans pulled ahead in the bottom of the frame, scoring three runs on four hits and a hit batter.
The Stars got one run back in the top of the sixth, scoring on a balk after loading the bases but Aurora limited the damage, stranding runners at second and third when
Joe Kukla's nine-pitch at-bat ended in a strikeout.
The Stars then tied the game in the top of the ninth. Wilk started the rally with a one-out single before Kukla followed with a single and Costello knotted the game when he singled to right to score Wilk but the Stars stranded their ninth and tenth runners of the game when the next two hitters flew out.
After a scoreless bottom of the ninth the Stars went down in order in the top of the tenth.
Jason Gissendaner back on for his third inning of work out of the bullpen got the first hitter of the inning before Ty Jacquez deposited a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left for the walk-off home run.
Daniel Supple picked up a no-decision in his third start of the season, surrendering three runs on six hits and two walks over seven innings while striking out seven. Gissendaner took the loss, falling to 0-2 on the season despite giving up just one hit and two walks in two-plus innings of work.
In game two,
Colton Malich was tagged with the loss, allowing five runs over five innings while giving up eight hits and two walks while striking out three.
Aurora raced out to a three-run lead after one inning and then answered each time Dominican was able to scratch across a run.
Matt Segovia drove in both runs for the Stars, scoring
Colin Janison with an RBI single in the fourth and then plating Janison again in the eighth with a sacrifice fly.
The Stars loaded the bases in the top of the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate before bouncing into a 1-2-3 double play to end the threat.
Dominican out-hit the Spartans in the nightcap, 11-9, including a 3-for-4 performance at the plate for Janison.
"We did not do a very good job getting runners in today," commented
Steve Hardman, the Stars' head coach following the games. "We stranded 21 base runners in two games and that just will not cut it. We pitched well enough to win but we just cannot get the big hit right now."
The Stars are slated to return to the diamond on Friday, taking on the North Central College Cardinals in a non-conference tilt at Boomers Stadium at 3pm. Dominican then returns to league play on Saturday, traveling to Mequon, Wisconsin, to take on the Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons.
