Pioneers Lose Close One; Win in Blow Out

Flint, MI - For the third straight day, the Delta Pioneers baseball team was in action as they traveled to Mott Community College to take on the Bears in games three and four of their MCCAA Eastern Division series.  Game one saw Mott prevail with a walk-off win, 9-8 while the nightcap saw the Pioneers exact their revenge with a 14-5 victory.  Delta is now 10-10 in MCCAA East play and 20-19 on the season overall.

Despite being down 5-0 after the first inning of play, Delta continued to battle and scored three runs in the top of the second to make it 5-3.  Mott plated two more in the bottom of the frame to take a 7-3 lead but Delta would tie it up in the third with four runs of their own.  A one out walk and an error put runners at first and second when Carson Longstreth doubled to make it 7-4 in favor of Mott.  Nolan Raymond followed suit with a two RBI double to make it 7-6.  Raymond would move up to third on a Jackson Lund infield single and Cam Floyd would bring him own on a long fly ball to the fence in center to knot the score at 7-7.

DC took an 8-7 lead in the fourth but Mott scored once again to make it 8-8, and thats where the score remained until the sixth.  The Pioneers drew a leadoff walk to start the inning but the runner was picked off of first on the next pitch.  A walk and a single followed but they couldn't score.  Alex Dingee, working on one day's rest, allowed a one out single and a walk in the bottom of the seventh.  A wild pitch moved the runners up a bag with prompted Delta to intentionally walk the Mott hitter to load the bases.  With a five man infield in place, Mott lifted a ball to the fence in right to score the runner at third and win the game, 9-8.

Dingee took the loss on the hill, dropping his record to 4-2 on the season.  Andy Sills started for Delta, throwing five innings and allowing eight runs on 10 hits.  Offensively, Delta was led by Carson Longstreth with two doubles and a single while Jackson Lund added a double, two singles and two RBI.

Game two saw both squads play to a 3-3 tie heading in to the sixth inning when Delta plated five runs to take an 8-3 lead.  They were aided by four walks in the frame while Nick Johnson and Nolan Raymond each added doubles with Raymond's being of the 3-RBI variety.  Mott scored two in the bottom half to make it 8-5 but the Pioneers put the game away with a six run seventh inning to win, 14-5.  In all, Delta scored 40 runs in the four game series on offense. 

Caron Longstreth (2-1) got the win on the hill for DC, throwing a complete game while giving up four earned runs on seven hits and striking out six.  He also had a big game on the offensive side, picking up four walks and two RBI with a double.  Nolan Raymond had two hits, two runs, two RBI and a stolen base and Evan Pocius had two hits and walk.   

The JOEs travel to Lansing to play the Stars in a double-header tomorrow.  It's their 7th and 8th game in four days.