HOUSTON – The 21st ranked University of Arkansas at Monticello baseball team dropped its season opener against 23rd ranked Colorado School of Mines by a score of 2-0 on Friday from Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. The Weevils and Orediggers actually opened up regular season play in NCAA Division II baseball with their contest Friday morning.
For the Weevils, it was their first of three contests at Minute Maid Park at Houston Astros Winter Invitational.
The game turned out to be quite the pitcher's duel between two of the best arms in Division II college baseball in
Matt Lundh and Walter Pennington.
UAM had a runner in scoring position on with two outs in the top of the second after
Cade Thompson got the first hit of the DII 2020 season with a two-out double. However,
David Reyna flied out to center to end the threat.
On the other side of things, Lundh walked the first batter of the game, but after he retired 12 batters in-a-row. It wasn't until the bottom of the fifth that the scoreless tie was broken.
After falling behind in the count to Dylan Mcdermott leading off the inning, Lundh surrendered a line-drive homer down the line in right to put the Orediggers ahead, 1-0.
The Weevils looked to respond in the top of the sixth, but they left another pair of runners on.
Later, in the top of the eighth, UAM put the leadoff man aiming to knot the game up. However, with Reyna on first,
Jordan Johnson grounded into a 5-4-3 double play.
Andrew Piraino then got on with two outs, but the Orediggers wiggled out of the threat.
Colorado School of Mines added another run in the bottom of the eighth and looked to get the win in the top of the ninth. The Weevils once again put the leadoff man on, and even got the tying run on base shortly after, but another double play would end the game as they lost, 2-0.
Lundh (L, 0-1) took the loss despite hurling a solid 5.0 innings pitched, allowing just one run on one hit, while punching out seven.
Other hurlers for the Weevils were
Ojani Chacon and
Matthew Harrison. Chacon hurled 2.0 innings of scoreless ball while striking out three, and Harrison allowed one run on one hit and three walks in 1.0 inning of work.
Pennington (W, 1-0) got the win for CSM surrendering just three hits and no runs while punching out seven over 5.1 innings pitched.
Zachary Kriethe (S, 1) earned the save allowing one hit over 1.0 inning.
UP NEXT
The Weevils will continue look for their first win again on Saturday with a 5 p.m. matchup against Flagler College from Minute Maid Park in Houston.
