LocalSportsJournal.com
LOMBARD, Ill. — The Manistee Saints Baseball Club traveled to Lombard, Ill. over the weekend for a season-opening four-game series against the perennial N.A.B.F. World Series contender and came away with a 1-3 record.
The Saints lost both games to the Lombard Orioles on Sunday, 7-0 and 6-4.
Aiden Schmuckal was the only Saint with more than one hit in the first game Saturday, with two, but the team managed only four over the seven innings.
With little offensive support behind them, the Saints pitching staff was operating under adverse conditions and could not stem the flow. Alex Schmitt took the loss.
Game 2 went a little better for the Saints, as veteran Roddy MacNeil started the game on the mound and worked four innings of one-run ball and left with a 3-1 lead.
The Orioles mounted a comeback against the Saints bullpen, however, and exploded for five runs in the fifth inning and held the Saints to just one more run.
Lombard scored four unearned runs in Saturday’s opener, as each team showed some rust that accumulated over the off-season. The Saints made five errors and the Orioles’ pitching issued 12 walks.
Despite those free passes, the Saints couldn’t match the Orioles in the scoring department and dropped an 11-6 decision.
But the Saints rebounded in the nightcap, breaking open a 2-all tie with five runs in the fourth inning and finished with a 9-3 win.
Manistee’s bats came to life in that game, with Owen Graves leading the attack with three hits. MacNeil and Dom Palamara each had two hits.
The pitching victory went to Marty McDonald, who worked four strong innings before leaving the game for reliever Wyatt Crawford, who threw the last three innings and picked up the win.
Next up for the Saints, who are playing an independent schedule this summer, is a road trip to Battle Creek this weekend.
They have singles games with the Portland Rockets (1 p.m.) and the Battle Creek Merchants (5 p.m.) on Saturday, and then travel to Muskegon for two games with the Clippers on Sunday at Marsh Field.
