Pirates Handed A Pair Of Home Losses

The North Central Missouri College baseball team was swept at home on Monday, dropping a pair of games to Maple Woods at Burleigh Grimes Field in Trenton. The Pirates fell 7-6 in game one and lost game two 13-7.
Pirates’ pitcher Caleb Bounds cruised through the first six innings against Maple Woods in game one, allowing no runs on four hits and three walks. The Pirates’ offense, meanwhile, built a 5-0 lead behind a three-run second inning and single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. Cezan Rafaela homered for the run in the fifth.
Disaster struck in the top of the seventh, however, as Bounds ran into trouble. Aspen Taylor came on in relief and struggled as well. When it was all said and done, Maple Woods had plated seven runs in a single frame. The Pirates got one run back, drawing within a run of the visitors, but that was all NCMC would get, falling 7-6.
Taylor took the loss, allowing two earned runs on one hit, a home run and a walk. Bounds finished with six innings pitched, allowing four runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out three.
Offensively, the Pirates were paced by JJ Wesley, who was three-for-four with a double, a run scored and two RBIs. Derek Taylor was two-for-three with a run and an RBI and Rafaela had a run and an RBI on the home run in the fifth. Lucas Powers had a run and an RBI as well.
In game two, Maple Woods took control with a six-run spot in the top of the fifth inning. The offensive outburst broke a 1-1 tie and the Pirates would not see the lead again. Maple Woods tacked on one run in the sixth and one in the eighth, before putting the game away with four insurance runs in the top of the ninth. NCMC plated three runs each in the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings, but it turned out to be too little, too late.
Jason Luster took the loss on the hill, throwing four and one-third innings and allowing five earned runs on four hits and five walks while striking out four. Temesh Lourens, Trenton Troyer and Derek Taylor also allowed runs in the contest.
At the plate, North Central got two RBIs each from Joan Rondon, Michael Babbitt and Wesley. James Brownsberger and Powers each had doubles, with Powers driving in a run as well.
With the sweep, North Central fell to 12-19 on the season. NCMC will have a chance to rebound today, playing host to the Hannibal LaGrange junior varsity at Burleigh Grimes Field in Trenton. The first pitch for the scheduled doubleheader was set to be thrown at 1 o’clock.
The Pirates will travel to St. Charles Community College on Thursday for a doubleheader.