Falcons Lose Second Straight To The Tigers

Falcons Lose Second Straight To The Tigers

Campbellsville, KY- After two straight days of rain, the Falcons were finally back on the playing field Sunday afternoon for a second matchup with the Campbellsville Tigers. On Thursday evening the Falcons were defeated by a score of 11-5. On Sunday afternoon it was the same result as the Falcons dropped their second straight to kick off their spring trip, 11-5.

Looking to avenge the previous loss on Thursday, the Falcons jumped out to 2-0 lead after the top of the first. For the second straight game, leadoff man Jorge Sanchez (Caguas, PR) started his day off with a hit, a single to left field. Ivan Rivera (Brooklyn, NY) followed suit with a single of his own to put runners on first and second with no outs. Mitchell Lundholm (Plymouth, MA) then took a ball on the body from Tigers starter Tyler Deason to load the bases for clean-up hitter Jonathan Rosado (Bayamon, PR). Rosado collected his 4th RBI of the season as he hit a sac fly out to left, scoring Sanchez to take a 1-0 lead. Cameron Pearson (Orlando, FL) then reached on a fielder's choice and an errant throw from the second baseman allowed Rivera to score and the Falcons would take a 2-0 lead to the bottom of the first. The Tigers quickly responded in the bottom half of the frame though, as they scored three times off of Falcons starter Johann Doerrer (Dolgeville, NY) who allowed just one hit but walked and hit a batter, as the Tigers grabbed three unearned runs to take the lead back 3-2. After a quiet second, the Falcons knotted the game at 3 a piece as Sanchez lead off the inning with his second hit of the afternoon rapping a single to center. After a sacrifice bunt from Rivera moved Sanchez to second, Rosado tied the game on a double to center scoring Sanchez for his second RBI of the day. But again the Tigers responded in the bottom of the inning as they tacked on three more runs in the third. After Doerrer retired the first two batters he allowed back-to-back doubles from Deason and Bryson Wallet, and a homer from Donnel Bailey who gave the Tigers a 6-3 lead after three complete. 

The Tigers took a six run lead after three more hits in the bottom of the fifth. After a single and a walk to start the inning, George Gali (Guayama, PR) replaced Doerrer on the mound. Gali gave up back-to-back hits scoring both of his inherited runners, forcing Coach Dulin to go back to his bullpen to Raymundo Gomez (Lynn, MA). Gomez was able to limit the damage as he retired the final two batters to keep the game at 9-3 after five. After two clean innings from Gomez and Angel Alicea (Caguas, PR), Fisher made it a 9-5 game in the top of the 7th as Ismael Perez (Brooklyn, NY) started the inning with a single to left setting the table for a Freddy Gonzalez (Caracas, Venezuela) dinger, his first of the season. Lundholm and Rosado grabbed back-to-back hits to keep the scoring threat alive, but Tigers Aaron Hutchinson was able to get the final out allowing his team to maintain a 9-5 lead heading into the 8th. After a three batter inning in the 7th for Falcons reliever Jared Dane (Fontana, CA), the Tigers added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the 8th to go up 11-5 after eight full. Tigers Gage O'Brien was able to close the door in the 9th for the final three outs, securing the win for the home team bringing their record to 7-7 on the season. 

Sanchez and Rosado were the only Falcons that tallied multiple hits in the contest as Tigers pitching allowed just nine hits in the win. Rosado and Gonzalez both had a pair of RBI in the losing effort. Doerrer took the loss for the Falcons and is now 0-2 this season. The Tigers were led offensively by Bailey who finished 2 for 2 with three RBI and a pair of runs in the victory. Jesse Davis earned the win for the Tigers, his first of the season.

The Falcons dropped to 14-6 after the loss and will look to bounce back this afternoon as they take on the Pikeville Bears at the Johnnie Lemaster Field in Pikeville, KY. The doubleheader action kicks off at 1pm and live stats can be found here.