Baseball searching for first win as Griffins struggle defensively

St. Louis, Mo. - Fontbonne baseball continues to struggle defensively as the Griffins recorded 11 errors in three games this weekend. The Griffins are now 0-6 on the season as they continue to search for their first win.

vs. Buena Vista | Friday | Lost 14-2 in 8 innings

Fontbonne stranded two on base in the first inning before Buena Vista hit two doubles and a home run, all right in a row to take a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Five singles, a walk and a stolen base in the fourth game the Beavers four more runs. The visiting team plated five more runs in their season opener off two hits and two errors in the eighth to lead 14-0.

Fontbonne avoided the shutout when senior Ethan Boyer his a two-run home run to left field where the ball landed on the top of the batting cages. Austin Earnest suffered the loss. Ethan Borrowman went two-for-three at the plate. 

vs. Platteville | Friday | Lost 6-4

After stranding three Griffins in the bottom of the first inning, Fontbonne took a 3-0 lead after the second inning. Michael Golich earned two RBI's on a single to right field. He advanced to second on the throw home. Golich was called out when Boyer hit a line drive to the shortstop which hit Golich. Boyer then stole second and came home off Ben Greenway's single. The shortstop was called safe on his dive across home plate.

Platteville answered with a two-run home run that hit the scoreboard in the next half inning. Platteville tied the game in the fifth off a throwing error by the Griffins. Fontbonne tried to turn the double play but Golich's throw to first went wide. Platteville's base runner seemed to hesitate rounding third, prompting Fontbonne head coach Ryan Good to appeal the call after he tying run crossed the plate. Good attested that since the baserunner halted his run and only went home after the throwing error that he should return to third base. The umpires disagreed. In the next inning, the Griffins could have done more damage than just the one run they scored to take the lead. Greenway popped up a foul ball behind the plate. The wind took the ball, which came down and landed on the home plate umpire's shoulder. He called for "umpire interference" and awarded Platteville an out.

The visiting Pioneers tied the game in the seventh and scored two runs in the eighth off two fielding errors as they held on for the win in their season opener. Michael Puckett Jr. came to the mound for Fontbonne in the eighth inning with the bases loaded. He prevented more runs after striking out the only batter he faced that inning. He finished the game with two strikeouts over 1.1 innings of work. Cole Lankford suffered the loss for Fontbonne. Golich went three-for-five at the plate. Levi Earnest struck out four in six innings of work.

vs. Buena Vista | Saturday | Lost 9-4

Another error allowed Buena Vista to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning on the second day of baseball. Ethan Boyer singled in the bottom half of the fourth inning but the short hop went under the glove of the left fielder, allowing him to advance to second and ultimately third on a wild pitch. He dove across home on another wild pitch to tie the game before first baseman Ryan Schocker hit a triple off the wall in dead center. Two more walks and Buena Vista's pitcher Keenan Jones threw his third wild pitch of the inning, allowing Schocker to cross the plate standing up to give Fontbonne a 2-1 lead. 

Buena Vista scoredf three runs in the top of the fifth and five runs in the eighth. In the eighth, Buena Vista recorded six hits including three doubles, two singles and a triple. Fontbonne had a little life left and recorded two more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Buena Vista's new pitcher walked the first two Griffins. Greenway then doubled down the right field line to score Golich. Schocker's grounder to third base allowed Boyer to score from third. 

Brendan Beck took the loss for Fontbonne. 

Up Next

The Griffins host Millikin on Saturday at noon followed by the University of Dubuque on Sunday, March 5th with game one scheduled for noon as well.