KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Truman State left the bases loaded a combined three times against Rockhurst (Mo.) Monday dropping two at the Urban Youth Academy Monday.
 
Game 1 saw the Bulldogs pound out a season-high 12 hits, but they also struck out 12 times and left 12 on base in the 3-2 loss. Two costly walks in the top of the first in Game 2 scored forcing Truman State to play from behind all through the 5-2 defeat.
 
"Our offense out hit Rockhurst all day, but they put runs on the board and we didn't," said head coach Dan Davis. "We just have to be better at approaching things and getting a little tougher with two outs. Overall our offense did a great job other than scoring runs and that's the name of the game."
 
Junior catcher Alex Wittenauer went 2-3 with a double and RBI in Game 1 with batterymate Isaac Epp giving up three runs, one earned, on just four hits in six innings of work. Redshirt freshman Charlie Berry likewise went 2-3 in the opener with a double then knocked out  a double and RBI in Game 2. Senior Luke Roussel hit a run-scoring triple in Game 1 with a Game 2 run scored among the Bulldog highlights on the day.
 
Game 1 started off well for Truman State when junior centerfielder Rawlins Brant stole second after reaching on a single. A walk by freshman Owen Browning gave the Bulldogs runners at first and second with no outs, but a 2-6 pick off of Brant followed by two strikeouts ended the threat. Berry started the top of the third with his first double and advanced to third, but a 7-5-2 double play kept the game scoreless.
 
Epp surrendered a solo shot in the fourth and got two quick outs in the bottom of the fifth, but a sequence of double, HBP, error, and double steal allowed Rockhurst to plate two more. 
 
"Overall grade for pitching staff on the day was B/B plus," Davis said.  "Epp gives up one run in a complete game where our defense let him down a little bit. If he pitches that way all year he's going to win a lot of baseball games for us."
 
Junior Tyler Tieman got a one-out single in the Truman State sixth then scored from first on Roussel's triple; Roussel later crossed the plate on Wittenauer's second hit of the day. The Bulldogs loaded up the bases with two outs but stranded them all on a strikeout.
 
Down 3-2 in the top of the seventh, the Bulldogs got things going with consecutive singles by sophomores Oliver Degenhardt and Dakota Joggerst who then advanced on a double steal. Roussel coaxed a one-out walk to load things up but Rockhurst got a strikeout and liner to seal the win.
 
"I believe Charlie Berry's been smoking the baseball and Tyler Tieman is doing a great job offensively," Davis said. "We're starting to hit the baseball a lot better and we just need to score runs. We need to score when we get them on."
 
Rockhurst got out to a quick start in Game 2 loading the bases on two walks and a single all of which scored on a double to right. A second-inning Rockhurst homer left Truman State behind 4-0. Roussel led off the Bulldog fifth with a walk, stole second, and advanced to third on a bunt single by freshman Gavin Schieffer. A Berry RBI fielder's choice plated Roussel for the first Bulldog run in Game 2.
 
"Nick actually threw a good game getting three scoreless innings after giving up three in the first and one in the second," David said. "The first inning shows you can't give walk guys at the top of their lineup because the guys in the middle are going to do their jobs and drive in those runs."
 
Browning got a leadoff walk to open the sixth and later scored on an RBI single by Tieman, but Truman State left the bases loaded a third time on the day to trail 4-2. The Hawks tacked on their final run in the bottom of the sixth and the 'Dogs went quietly in the seventh.
 
"We were on base all day long but couldn't punch through the defense and get the ball in play to score runs," Davis said. "The team with the best batting average doesn't win. It's the team that scored the most run so that's bottom line. We need score when we get them on."
 
The losses leave Truman State 0-6 while Rockhurst starts its season 2-0. The two will square off in a second double header Tuesday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.