Griffins Strand 12 On Base In Loss Against John Carroll

WINTER HAVEN, Fla.—The Fontbonne University baseball team dropped its game down in Florida on Sunday afternoon, falling 4-2 against John Carroll.

The Griffins (3-5), tied its season-high with 11 hits but left 12 runners on base. Offensively, Michael Golich went 3-for-5 with a run scored at the leadoff spot. Michael Puckett Jr., went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Matt Tossick and Gus Purschke contributed two hits apiece.

On the bump, the Griffins got solid performances out of starter Luke Summers and Brett Lange. Summers, a St. Louis, Missouri, native, tossed 6.0 innings of six hit ball, allowing three runs and struck out seven Blue Streaks. Out of the pen, Brett Lange, allowed one run in 2.0 innings and sat down three.

John Carroll (3-1), meanwhile, also got standout pitching from starter Fred Moore. The hurler picked up his first win as he went 6.0 innings, allowing just two runs and struck out three. Cameron Mayle came on in the final 3.0 innings and picked up the save.

At the dish, the No. 4-5 hitters in Dominic Mittiga and David Ferguson provided most of the damage. The duo combined to go 4-for-6 with three runs scored and three RBI.

The game remained scoreless up until the top of the third. Jonathan Hoevelmann was hit-by-pitch and moved up a base on Jackson Penrod's ground-out. After Hoevelmann stole third, he touched home on Puckett Jr., sacrifice-fly to make it 1-0.

In the home half of the fourth, though JCU answered. Mittiga reached base on a two out single and he raced around on Ferguson's RBI double to right-center, tying the game at 1-1.

Fontbonne took the lead right back in the next half inning. Golich led off with a single and moved up a base after a ground-out. Penrod went on to reach base on an error, allowing Golich to move up another base.

Then, Puckett, Jr., singled to right, plating Golich to give the Griffins a 2-1 lead. However, in the sixth, the Blue Streaks took the advantage for good.

Mike McCarty led off with a single and raced around home two batters later on Mittiga's double. Matthew Donnelly added an RBI single, plating Mittiga for the eventual game-winning RBI. JCU collected an insurance run in the ninth to secure the two-run victory.

The Griffins return to action tomorrow morning at 11:45 a.m., against King's.

Fans make sure to stay updated on fontbonnegriffins.com throughout the year for full updates and recaps on the baseball team.