Bluefield drops second game at World Series in 9-3 loss to Mid-C - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

The following is a press release from Bluefield College:

The Bluefield College baseball team fell to Mid-Continent, 9-3, Thursday in the third game of Pool B Play of the NCCAA Division I World Series at Prasco Park.

The win improves MCU to 27-38 on the season while the Mid-East Regional Champion Rams fall to 32-29.

After going down in the top of the inning the Rams surrendered an opening inning run for the second consecutive game when Mid-Continent took a 1-0 lead when Hawkins scored on a groundout by Arias with two outs.

After sending the Lions down in order in the second inning, the Rams starter Justin Lykins and the Rams defense experienced a rough third inning as the Cougars scored five runs on five hits and an error that saw MCU bat through the order with ten total plate appearances.

Trevor Buford and Daniel Edwards started the inning off with back-to-back singles for the Cougars. Buford a senior from Mattoon, Ill., reached on an infield single and Edwards a senior from Puducah, Ky., singled to shallow right advancing Buford to third.

With runners on the corners, Lykins battled with Uriel Hawkins the third hitter of the inning. On the fourth pitch Hawkins laid down a bunt towards the third base side. Cameron Hynes charged from the dirt at third but bobbled the ball allowing Hawkins to reach loading the bases without an out.

Joseph Blair reached on a fielder's choice after taking the second pitch towards the second base side. That hit scored the second run of the game as Buford scored giving MCU a 2-0 lead over the 2009 NCCAA Champion Rams.

The Cougars would go onto score four more runs in the inning to take a 6-0 lead over the Rams on five runs on five hits, an error while leaving two on base when Lykins struck Abell out, followed by forcing Buford to ground out to Greg Moon in his second at bat of the inning.

Bluefield showed signs of offensive life when Goodyear singled up the middle with one out. The junior from Stuarts Gap, Va., moved to second when Hynes grounded into a fielder's choice.

With two outs Kaleb Long grounded out to third ending the inning leaving Goodyear stranded on second.

Lykins cruised through the fourth inning sending the Cougars down in order as the Rams and Cougars went to the fifth inning with Mid-Continent leading 6-0.

In the top of the fifth, the Rams opened the inning with a single down the left field line by Dickerson then received a walk to Moon on four straight pitches to the Richmond, Va., native.

After Riley flew out to center field Greg Long grounded into an inning ending double-play leaving Bluefield's inning lead-off single stranded at second.

Lykins opened the bottom of the fifth walking Arias then allowed McMinn to reach on a single to right.

The junior right-hander from Hickory, N.C., then forced Cheng into a fielder's choice that advanced Arias to third, leaving runners on the corners.

Lykins had Abell double to deep left-center field that scored Arias and Cheng to give the Cougars an 8-0 lead.

After 94 pitches Head Coach Mike White brought in junior Taylor Marshall to replace Lykins with five and two thirds gone and the Rams trailing 8-0. 

Marshall forced his first batter, Trevor Buford into an inning ending ground out.

After getting ahead three balls and no strikes Zac Russell-Myers singled deep to right-center to open the sixth inning for the Rams.

Joe Gatewood took his first pitch for a called strike before blasting the second pitch over the left-center field wall for a 400 foot two-run homerun. Gatewood's homerun was the first by any batter for any team at the World Series to date. 

Goodyear followed up with a double through the gap in left field before Hynes grounded out to second to advance the junior from Stuarts Gap, Va., to third base with one out.

Kaleb Long steped in and sent the first pitch to deep left-center to drive in the third run of the inning for the Rams.

After back-to-back singles by Dickerson and Moon, Andrew Kirks came in for Alex Riley. In the junior from Danville, Va., 60^th at bat on the season Kirks grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Rams scored three runs on five hits while leaving two runners on base to trim MCU's lead to 8-3.

After Marshall allowed the first two runners to reach base, Mike White brought in his third pitcher of the afternoon replacing Marshall with fellow junior Anthony Garza.

The right hander got out of the inning sending the next three batters down in order.

The Rams went to bat in the top of the seventh trailing 9-3 but it only took eight pitches for Caleb Luttrell to send Bluefield down in order as the Rams fell to 1-2 in pool B play. Mid-Continent moved onto 2-1 after defeating California Baptist earlier in the day.

The Rams will face Oklahoma Wesleyan at 10 a.m. in their final pool B game of the NCCAA Division I World Series tomorrow at Legacy Field at Prasco Park.