The Briar Cliff baseball team dropped three games to Mount Marty on Monday to open GPAC play.

"Tough weekend for us", said head coach Corby McGlauflin. "We need to find a way to win these close games. We have 24 conference games to go, so we're excited to get back to work on Friday against Northwestern!"

The Chargers tallied 22 hits and 19 runs across the four-game series.

Game 2 – L, 7-10
The Charger bats were firing from the first pitch of game two. Cam Riemer reached first and advanced to second on a crucial Mount Marty error to lead off the top of the first. Quentin Evers rocked the first home run of the day for the Chargers, sending a two-run shot to center field. Jake Allen mirrored Evers with a solo homerun to center field of his own to grant BC the early 3-0 lead.

The Lancers retaliated in the bottom of the first with a big fly from Will Gardner to cut the lead to 3-1.

The Chargers were kept off the board in the second frame while Mount Marty pushed three runs across the plate to give them the 4-3 edge. In the inning, the Lancers carded three runs on four hits.

Trey Rogers tripled to right field to lead off the top of the third inning. Riemer tallied an RBI sacrifice flyout to even the score at 4-4. Connor Lange then sent a solo shot out of the yard to give the lead back to BC 5-4.

After a walk and back-to-back singles from the Lancers, the score was tied again at 5-5. Mount Marty snagged the lead on a fielder's choice and run-down play in between third and home. The Chargers intentionally walked Kiki Nunez to put runners on first and second with Zane Salley due up. Salley knocked a three-run homer to left field to leave the Cliff in a four-run deficit.

Game two of the series was suspended in the top of the fourth inning and was scheduled to resume at 11 a.m. Monday morning.

After resuming play, the Lancers jumped back on the board first in the bottom of the fourth. The Lancers recorded one hit with a stolen base and hit by pitch to put a runner in scoring position. After an RBI fielder's choice, Mount Marty carried a 10-5 lead.

Both the Chargers and the Lancers failed to score in the sixth inning.

In a come-from-behind attempt, Briar Cliff managed to piece some baserunners together. Farrell, Rogers and Riemer all reached base on Lancer mistakes. Rogers came around to score on a fielder's choice and Langer recorded an RBI sacrifice flyout to push the Chargers' seventh run across the plate. The Chargers couldn't card any more runs, ending game two of the series 7-10.

Game 3 – L, 2-4
The Lancers were the first on the board in game three of the series, tallying one run on two hits in the top of the first inning.

Mount Marty scored another run in the second inning to lead 2-0 after a single and costly Charger error. Ryan Riddle was able to escape the inning after getting a fly out and ground out to strand two Lancers on the bases.

After a scoreless third, the Lancers plated two more runs in the fourth to extend their lead to 4-0. MMU recorded two hits in the inning following a walk and intentional walk. The Charger defense was able to evert more damage, stranding two more Lancers on the bases.

The Cliff's offense found some momentum in the bottom of the fourth. Riemer led off the inning reaching base on an MMU error. He was batted in by an RBI double to left field by Lange. Allen carded the other Charger hit in the inning, recording an RBI single to center field and cutting the deficit to 2-4.

BC's defense started to shine, going three-up three-down in the top of the fifth with two ground outs and a fly out.

The remainder of the game was a defensive battle between the two squads. The lone hit in the final three innings came off the bat of Kiko Nunez.

The Chargers recorded three hits in game three. Lange and Allen each had one hit and an RBI apiece, while Riemer was the final batter to snag a hit.

Riddle earned a loss on the mound going 6.0 innings, allowing four runs on six hits, while striking out two. Alex Kremer appeared in the final inning and found two strikeouts.

As a team, Briar Cliff held the advantage in runners left on base (2-6).

Game 4 – L, 1-3
The final game of the four-game series was a defensive battle from the first pitch. Kyler Steinborn and the Charger defense recorded three consecutive three-up three-down innings.

Though both teams were kept off the board, Steinborn tallied four strikeouts through the first three innings, hoping the Charger bats could give him some leeway on the bump.

Briar Cliff and Mount Marty seemed to be copying each other as both teams' first two hits came in the fourth inning. BC managed to get out of the fourth unscathed behind a back-to-back routine plays to end the inning and strand two Lancers on base.

Mount Marty pushed across the first run of the game in the top of the fifth. Despite loading the bases, the Lancers were only able to tally one run as the Charger defense buckled down to get a fly out to end the frame.

The Cliff responded in the bottom of the fifth. Following an opening walk by Jared Sitzmann, Farrell laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Sitzmann to second. With a runner in scoring position, Cyler Melvin found a timely RBI single to even the contest at 1-1.

The Charger defense stood strong in the sixth, forcing two runners out at second base, keeping the game tied up heading into the seventh.

After a leadoff walk, Zane Salley sacrifice bunted to advance a runner into scoring position with one out. The Lancers continued to put pressure on the Charger defense as they put two more balls in play that caused BC to panic. Despite back-to-back errors, Briar Cliff allowed only two runs and trailed 3-1 heading into the final half inning of the game.

The Chargers were unable to string some hits together in the final frame. With two outs, Rogers singled to third base to keep the BC hopes alive. Riemer then reached first on an error, putting runners on first and second with two outs. Walter Hunt, due for a hit, laced a fastball directly at the third basemen to end the contest 3-1.

Briar Cliff out-hit the Lancers 5-3 in game four. Melvin led the way with two hits as Rogers, Lange and Allen all tallied one.

Steinborn was electric on the mound for the Cliff. Steinborn went all 7.0 innings, allowing only three runs on three hits, while striking out six.

The Chargers continue GPAC play when they hit the road to Orange City, Iowa to take on the Red Raiders of Northwestern in a doubleheader on Friday afternoon. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 

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