The Briar Cliff baseball team split a doubleheader with cross-town rival Morningside on Sunday afternoon.

"Thanks to everyone that came out today", said head coach Corby McGlauflin. "It was a great college baseball atmosphere. Brett Sitzmann was really good on the mound in game one and Matthew Delgado delivered the big blow off the bench as he has done many time in his career as a Charger. We need to do a better job of cashing in when have scoring opportunities tomorrow."

Prior to game one, the senior members of the baseball program were recognized for their time and accomplishments as a Charger. Briar Cliff would like to thank and congratulate the 21 seniors for everything they have done at the Cliff. 

Game 1 – W, 3-2
Brett Sitzmann was dialed in early in game one. To start the frame, Sitzmann made an outstanding barehand play to card the first out. He would follow that up with back-to-back strikeouts to end the top of the first.

The Charger offense threatened in the bottom of the first. After Trey Rogers was hit by a pitch, Cyler Melvin roped a double down the left-field line to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Wade Canaday and the Mustang defense buckled down to record a strikeout and lineout double-play to end the frame,

Despite allowing an infield hit and a walk in the second inning, BC's defense escaped the pressure, stranding two Mustangs on the basepaths. The Chargers tallied two groundouts and a lineout in the frame.

The Cliff pieced together back-to-back hits in the bottom of the second as Walter Hunt laced a line drive single to left field and Jake Chronic had a single of his own to right field. The Chargers were unable to convert, leaving the game scoreless through two full innings.

Devon Farrell tallied two putouts in the top of the third frame as Sitzmann recorded another strikeout. Through three innings, Sitzmann tallied three strikeouts.

In the top of the fifth, Morningside put a runner in scoring position with only one out. Sitzmann buckled down to tally a fielder's choice ground out and a strikeout to keep the Mustangs out of the scoring column.

Easton Cone laced a one-out double to right center field in the bottom of the fifth to give some momentum to the Chargers. Cone was followed by drawn walks from pinch hitter Connor Lange and Melvin to load the bases with two outs. Canaday fended off the pressure, carding a crucial strikeout to keep the game scoreless through five innings.

The Mustangs pushed the game's first run across in the top of the sixth. After a leadoff single from Nick Grajeda, Alex Calabrese knocked a one-out RBI single to center field and would later come around to score on a coaxed throw to put Morningside in the 2-0 lead late in game one.

The Chargers retaliated in the bottom of the sixth. Jake "Pookie" Allen roped a leadoff triple to right field as courtesy runner Jake Remar was driven in by an RBI sacrifice flyout from Hunt.

Despite giving up two walks and suffering an error in the seventh, the Chargers managed to strand two Mustangs on the bases, keeping the deficit at one run heading into the bottom of the seventh.

Cone led off the comeback efforts with a single through the left side. After pinch runner Matthew Hmielewski was pushed to second by a sacrifice bunt from Farrell, Rogers laced an RBI single through the left side to even the game up at 2-2. Rogers was then moved to second on a wild pitch and was driven in by a walk-off RBI single through the right side by pinch-hitter Matthew Delgado. Delgado and the Chargers earned their ninth conference win of the season 3-2.

Cone paced the Chargers with two hits as Rogers, Hunt, and Delgado each tallied a hit and RBI. Four other Chargers tallied one hit apiece.

Sitzmann was a gem on the mound for the Blue and Gold throwing 6.2 innings. Sitzmann allowed two runs on eight hits while striking out nine. Austin Carter came in to slam the door in the seventh.

Game Two – L, 0-14
With a scoreless first inning in the books, the Mustangs hopped in the scoring column in the second frame as Calabrese launched a two-out solo homerun over the right field wall to take an early 1-0 lead. The Charger middle infielders of Farrell and Chronic formulated a ground ball double-play to evade more pressure.

Both pitchers were dealing on the mound in game two. Through four innings, Ryan Riddle tallied four strikeouts as Morningside's Kai Purdy-Burton had five strikeouts.

In the top of the fifth, the Mustangs erupted for nine runs. After a leadoff walk, Calabrese roped an RBI double to the right-center gap and was followed by Aiden Bishop, who grounded an RBI single through the left side. Morningside wasn't done in the frame as five other Mustangs tallied a hit, including a three-run homer off the bat of Brancato and a two-run shot from Ryan Kiolbassa. Morningside carded two more RBIs in the frame en route to a 10-0 commanding lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Chargers pieced together a couple of baserunners. After a nine pitch at-bat, Jared Sitzmann drew a walk and was followed by a double to left field by Hunt. The Chargers were unable to convert, leaving them in a 10-run deficit heading into the sixth.

The Mustangs added to their lead in the sixth frame behind two hits and a pair of wild pitches. They would extend their lead again in the top of the seventh with three runs on three hits.

In a come-from-behind effort, Sitzmann tallied a one-out infield single, while pinch hitter Quentin Evers ripped a single to left field. The Mustang lead proved to be too large as the Chargers would fall 0-14 in game two.

Chronic led the way for the Blue and Gold with two hits as five other Chargers tallied one hit each.

The Cliff utilized three pitchers in game two. Ryan Riddle chucked 4.1 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits, while finding four strikeouts. Alex Kremer appeared in 0.2 innings of relief, allowing four runs on five hits, while Ryan Pearson finished the final two innings, also allowing four runs on five hits.

The Chargers return to action on Monday afternoon at Bishop Mueller Complex when they host Morningside again in another doubleheader. The first pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.

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