UU goes 1-3 over the weekend

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With temperatures hovering in the low 30s, Urbana University baseball fell twice to Concord in a pair of one-run games Saturday at Blue Knight Baseball Field. CU edged UU 4-3 in the ninth inning of the first game, after forcing extras with the tying run in the seventh. UU cut down a five-run deficit in Game 2, but came up short by a 6-5 final score.

CU (12-6, 6-0 MEC) remains undefeated in league play and extended its win streak to eight games. UU drops to 3-19 overall and 3-5 against league opponents.

GAME 1

UU senior Vitor Takakura allowed three hits during a career-best outing, but it wasn’t enough. The right-hander tossed six frames, a new career-high, while allowing three runs. He started the seventh but put the first two runners aboard before exiting the game with a 3-2 lead.

Unfortunately, Concord pushed one run across in the seventh to force extra innings with the score knotted at 3-3. The Mountain Lions eventually plated the go-ahead run on a two-out single in the ninth, which was the only base hit against reliever Robbie Guerrero III.

Guerrero (3.0 IP, 1 H, 3 K) fell victim to three hit batters and suffered his third loss (1-3).

UU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Mickey Losey (2-5, 2B) scored on a wild pitch. Then, Concord claimed a 2-1 lead after four frames until Zeth Tanner (1-4) came up clutch. The senior catcher continued his recent tear at the plate by delivering two runs on a double to deep left center, giving UU a 3-2 lead after five.

The Blue Knights out-hit the Mountain Lions 6-4, but failed to register a hit in the final three innings. Senior Mickey Barea (1-5), senior Tanner Davis (1-2) and junior Austin Pratt (1-4) each singled.

UU struggled to move runners and left at least one aboard in each frame (11 total).

Concord was led by Adrian Peralta’s 2-for-4 effort at the plate. Reliever Cody Dooley (2-1) earned the win after three shutout innings on the mound.

GAME 2

Things heated up, figuratively speaking, in the second game as both teams combined for 23 hits at the plate.

CU jumped out to a 6-1 lead after three frames after scoring three runs in the first, one in the second and two in the third. However, UU responded with a four-spot in the bottom of the sixth to get back in it.

Three consecutive singles by Pratt (2-4), Coy (2-4) and Tanner (2-4) made it 6-2, and then Davis notched a two-run double the opposite way to plate two more. With two outs later in the inning, Davis came around to score on a wild pitch to get UU within a run heading to the final inning.

Senior reliever Steven Beall kept UU close by shutting the door on the Mountain Lions offense. The right-hander, who has already posted career-highs in innings (21.0) and strikeouts (11), tossed four shutout frames with a season-high five strikeouts.

Then, a quick inning of work for freshman pitcher Ryan Townsend set the stage for UU’s attempt to even the series in the last at-bat.

Down 6-5, the Blue Knights got two runners on with back-to-back, two-out singles by Tanner and Guerrero (2-4).

Up next was Davis, who was swinging the hot bat in his debut in left field. The senior lefty got a clean hack and just missed a walk-off hit with a fly out to the deepest part of the park in center field. The CU center fielder made a running grab over his left shoulder at the fence to seal the game.

On Sunday, UU split with visiting UVa-Wise, losing the first game, 5-4, and winning the nightcap, 4-3.

UU’s Vitor Takakura (pictured) allowed three hits during a career-best outing on Saturday.
https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2018/03/web1_uubaseball.jpegUU’s Vitor Takakura (pictured) allowed three hits during a career-best outing on Saturday.

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