KANSAS CITY--The Truman Baseball team had their series with William Jewell moved to a doubleheader on Sunday at Urban Youth Academy in Kansas City, moving away from the Liberty, Mo. campus of William Jewell College. The Cardinals took the first game 11-9 and the Bulldogs took the second at 8-4. Jordan Marlott made his second start in game one and dropped to 0-2 while Michael Daggett got his sixth start in game two, but Jaren Guck came away with the win to improve to 1-1.
Game One
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Kevin Donohue reached on a one out double, followed by a single by Steven Bradbury; who later stole second. An RBI groundout by Jack Darwin brought Donohue in to score. With two outs and Bradbury on third, Kory Carter continued his stellar weekend with a two run homer down the right field line.
Over the next two innings, WJC scored four unanswered runs to take the lead; but in the top of the third Carter was back up to the plate. With two outs, Darwin had singled and moved to second on a pass ball and once again Carter launched a dinger to centerfield to put Truman back on top.
The Cardinals scored the next seven runs to take an 11-5 lead, but Truman would not go down easy. With runners on first and second, Carter came back to the plate and singled to load the bases. Holden Missey followed with a single to bring in a run, and then a walk by Dakota Spicer made it 11-7. With the bases still loaded and just one out, Will Fromm hit a two RBI single to right center which made it 11-9. With still just one out, it was the last gasp for the Bulldogs in a seven inning game. But Truman was unable to bring either of the runners on base home and the Cardinals took the first game.
Game Two
After a scoreless first, Carter led off the second and reached first on an error and then moved to second on a wild pitch. Missey followed with an RBI single to get the first run on the board.
WJC evened the score in the bottom of the third, but Carter led off the third inning and launched his third homer of the day to give Truman a 2-1 lead in the fourth. The Cardinals evened it up again in the bottom of the seventh, but the last two innings would provide plenty of drama.
With two outs in the top of the eighth, the Bulldog bats came alive. Missey started with a two out double, then advanced to third on a pass ball. Justin Dietiker walked and then Will Fromm came in to pinch hit for Will Wirt. Fromm singled to left to bring Missey in and move Dietiker to second. Luke Turner pinch hit and singled to bring Dietiker in. Truman left the top of the eighth with a 4-2 lead.
The game was even at four apiece going into the top of the ninth. But Truman once again came alive. Bradbury drew a leadoff walk and then Darwin was hit by a pitch. A wild pitch moved both runners up a base and into scoring position. Carter came up to the plate once more and hit a two run double down the line in right to bring both runners in. Missey followed with a two run jack to drive Carter in and make it 8-4 in almost the blink of an eye.
Daggett had a great start going 6.2 innings and allowing just two runs. Guck pitched the eighth and lined up for the win while Missey pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close it out.
Over the four games this weekend, Carter racked up ten hits and scored nine runs. He batted ten runs in, including seven in the two games Sunday. He hit three homers Sunday and four for the weekend.
The Bulldogs will come back to Kirksville for four game sets each of the next two weekends--Southwest Baptist this coming weekend and Drury the weekend after that.
