Seattle University (18-9, 6-0 WAC) is rolling in conference play.
After a series sweep of Chicago State (6-20, 0-6 WAC) the Redhawks are winners of seven straight games. They are off to a resounding start in conference play, winning all six of their games thus far.
A fantastic combination of offense and defense resulted in the Redhawks outscoring Chicago State 38-7 over the three game series. It helped the team gain some confidence going forward and kept them atop the WAC standings.
In the first game of the series, the Redhawks spread their scoring out the whole game, scoring in all but three innings. They totaled 12 runs on 16 hits and had five players with a multi-hit game. Senior second baseman Sheldon Stober and junior third baseman Brock Carpenter led the way with three hits each. Sophomore Tarik Skubal (6-0) picked up the win while striking out eight, but wasn’t as sharp as usual, yielding three unearned runs. Despite this, Skubal still has a 1.50 ERA and team high 49 strikeouts.
The shellacking was followed by a double header the next day that would have similar results.
Senior Ted Hammond (5-1) would get the start and the win in the first game, striking out seven and giving up just one run. The Redhawks entered the seventh inning with a 3-1 lead before they kicked into high gear, scoring 11 runs in the frame. Stober collected another three hits while freshman right fielder Jeffery Morgan had three hits and four RBIs.
Sophomore Nick Meservey (4-1) took the mound in the second game striking out seven with no walks in the 12-2 win. Meservey has been the third man in the rotation behind Skubal and Hammond but has been excellent this season, with a 1.62 ERA and .179 opponent batting average, second only to Hammond’s .178. On the offensive end Carpenter had another strong game with three hits and four RBIs. Stober had another great game going 2-for-4 with three RBIs bringing his series totals to eight hits and six RBIs. Sophomore catcher Jack Reisinger also had a great day going 3-for-3 at the plate.
This was an important series for the Redhawks going forward. While Chicago State wasn’t the strongest opponent, baseball is all about streaks, getting hot and staying hot. Having a few good days at the plate can translate into the next few games or even the next few series. This is the time for Seattle U to get hot in the middle of conference play.
As they work towards the WAC tournament next month the hitting and pitching will have to keep up their hard work and strong play. They continue their road trip against North Dakota next weekend before a game against University of Washington.
Willy may be reached at [email protected]
