BATESVILLE, Ark. - The University of Dubuque baseball team opened their 2024 season with a road doubleheader sweep over the Lyon College Scots by a 13-1 margin in game one in seven innings, and nearly doubled that length in the second contest. The game was tied after nine innings, when UD scored four runs in the top of the 13th inning and held on for lengthy 5-1 victory for new Spartans coach
Dan Spain.
The Spartans trailed in their first game of the season after the opening inning by a 0-1 score. UD settled in and would end the nine inning game early after scoring a run in the second, three runs in the fourth, a run in the fifth, and four runs in the sixth and seventh innings for a final of 13-1.
Johnny Blake earned the win on the mound after five innings, allowing one run off four hits while striking out 10 batters in the season opener. Teammate
Aiden Sullivan came in for relief and fanned three batters in two complete innings with no hits and a walk.
UD scored 13 runs off 15 hits and committed a pair of errors. The Spartans held the host Scots to one run off four hits while they committed four costly errors.Â
Leading the offense was
Jake Cekander who went 3-3 at the plate with an RBI.
Luke Burgos grabbed the first homerun of the 2024 season when he sent one over the fence in right center field for a three run shot. Burgos also had a double in the win to lead the Spartans with five RBI's and was 3-5 at the plate.
Colin Husko,
Luke Burgos,
Johnny Blake,
Jake Cekander, and
JD Schaffer all stroked a double in the game. Schaffer drove the home the first three runs of the game as he shined in his Spartans debut with two hits.Â
Maguire Fitzgerald and
JD Schaffer both stole a base.
In game two, the Spartans scored a run in the fourth and it appeared as though that might be enough. The hosts scored in the bottom of the eighth to knot the game at 1-1. After nine innings it was still tied 1-1. The two squads would put runners in scoring position for the next four innings before UD scored four runs in the top of the 13th inning to grab the lead 5-1 to collect the season opening sweep. The Spartans scored five runs after nine hits and held the Scots to one run off right hits.
Maguire Fitzgerald earned the win on the mound after tossing 4.1 late innings. He allowed four hits and struck out nine batters and walked one.
Charlie Jaeger started game two and tossed six innings, struck out six, walked two, and allowed a pair of hits.
Christian Battista grabbed the save after throwing .2 innings.
Leadoff
Ixander Colon drove in two RBI's in one hit.
Kyle Radi and
Aidan Elfering both had an RBI and one hit each. UD stranded 13 runners on base and Lyon left 11 runners on base in the loss.
The two squads return to action on Friday, Feb. 16 at 12:00 p.m. on Fred Wann Field in one nine inning game scheduled.
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