Early Errors Cost Devils Against Braves
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Coming off one of is best games of the season in a win against Monument Mountain last week, the Drury baseball team couldn't keep the momentum going on Sunday, making four errors in the field on its way to an 8-2 home loss to Taconic.The Braves, who clinched at least a tie for the North Division title with the win, started the game off by scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Luke Toomey led off the game with a double for Taconic, which had its first four runners reach base before Blue Devils' starter Robert Jutras could record an out. The Braves added four more runs in the second inning off of Jutras, who struck out one and walked four batters to take the loss. Jutras (2-5) was charged with just two earned runs out of the eight he allowed before leaving the game after the third inning.
"We played extremely poorly defensively in the first two innings," Drury head coach Al Marceau said." It looked like the pressure of having to win really made us tight. That combined with [Peter] Gregory pitching for Taconic really did us in. We had some bright spots offensively and Jutras threw well, but the defensive miscues really hurt us."
Gregory went the distance, striking out eight and allowing seven hits to earn the win for Taconic. The Blue Devils dropped to 7-9 with the loss and will now need to win their final two games to qualify for postseason play. One of the lone bright spots for Drury was the play of senior Joel Giorgi, who tossed four scoreless innings in relief of Jutras. Giorgi also went 3 for 3 with a run scored from the plate, raising his team-leading batting average to .339 in the process.
Another bright spot for the Devils was a fine defensive play executed by Rikki Brown. The Drury senior made an incredible diving catch in left field on a ball no one thought he could get to. He then fired the ball to the cut-off man, who threw to Jutras at second base and then to Kodey Bryce at first base to finish off a triple play.
"It was a great moment for a wonderful kid," Marceau said. "It was definitely our highlight of the year."
The Blue Devils next play at Monument Mountain at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday.