Lawrence Tech Surrenders Late Lead in 7-4 Loss to Aquinas
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | E | H | R | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQU | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 7 |
| LAW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 4 |
Lawrence Tech could not hold a two-run lead late, as Aquinas used a three-run eighth inning and a pinch-hit home run in the ninth to hand the Blue Devils a 7-4 loss on Saturday afternoon in Utica, Michigan.
The Blue Devils led 4-2 through six innings after steady offensive pressure and timely hitting early in the game. Lawrence Tech struck first in the bottom of the first when Justin Baird singled home pinch-runner Drew Schornak for a 1-0 advantage. After Aquinas tied it in the top of the third on an RBI single by Joey Hysell, the Blue Devils answered with a two-run fourth. Luke Weinberger delivered the big swing in that frame, singling in a pair of runs to put Lawrence Tech in front 3-1.
Aquinas trimmed the deficit to 3-2 in the fifth on a run-scoring double from Dylan Nguyen, but Lawrence Tech restored a two-run cushion in the sixth. Ty Schornak reached and came around to score on an RBI single from Evan McIntyre, giving the Blue Devils a 4-2 lead and momentum heading into the late innings. Offensively, Lawrence Tech finished with eight hits, drawing four walks and using six stolen bases to pressure the Aquinas defense.
The turning point came in the seventh and eighth innings as Aquinas mounted its comeback against the Blue Devils’ pitching staff. Nguyen struck again in the seventh with his second RBI double of the afternoon, cutting the Lawrence Tech lead to 4-3. In the eighth, Aquinas broke through with three runs to take control. Brodie Gregory tied the game with a run-scoring double, and after a single by JT LaMange kept the inning moving, Zachary Hayes followed with an RBI single. A stolen base and a catcher error allowed another run to cross, and the Blue Devils suddenly trailed 6-4.
Aquinas added insurance in the ninth when Austin Alcumbrack came off the bench and delivered a pinch-hit solo home run to make it 7-4. Lawrence Tech was unable to answer in the bottom half, despite having baserunners throughout the game. The Blue Devils stranded 10 runners on base, missing chances to extend their early lead or respond to the late rally.
On the mound, Lawrence Tech pitchers worked all nine innings, allowing 11 hits and six earned runs while recording six strikeouts against four walks. The staff navigated early traffic effectively but could not escape damage in the final three frames as Aquinas scored five times from the seventh inning on. Defensively, each team was charged with one error.
Offensively, the Blue Devils were led by Andrew Merz, who collected two hits, including a triple, in five at-bats to help pace the lineup. Baird, Weinberger and McIntyre each drove in runs as Lawrence Tech built its early advantage. Despite the setback, the Blue Devils showed an ability to create offense on the bases and at the plate, and will look to carry those positives into their next outing while tightening up late-inning execution.
