Duhawks catch heat in FloridaLoras goes 4-2 at Russmatt Central Florida Invitational behind several late-inning comebacks

by Katie truesdale | sportswriterIt deemed to be a promising opening

weekend for the Duhawks, as they went 4-2 over five days at the Russmatt Cen-tral Florida Invitational.

The Duhawks started off the invita-tional with a double-header against Saint Marys University. Senior Will Petrosky took the mound for the start of game one, but allowed SMU to take an early 3-0 lead. The Duhawks were quick to answer when it was their turn to bat, bringing in two runs, to cut the deficit to 4-2. The Duhawks would come back to tie the game at five after a solo-homer by senior Anthony Kennedy flew over the left field fence. An Anthony Flattery single in the bottom of the ninth scored Nolan Ritter from third, giving the Duhawks the 6-5 walk-off win.

The second game of the double header didnt go as smoothly for the Duhawks as they fell 1-0, despite allowing no earned runs. St. Marys winning run was scored on a throwing error in the sixth inning.

To improve the outcome, we could have tweaked up a few miscues on the de-fensive side of the ball, said sophomore second baseman Luke Leibforth. It was a solid back-and-forth game throughout, but sometimes the ball just doesnt fall your way.

The Duhawks took on MSOE for game three of the weekend, giving junior pitch-er Patrick Walsh the mound. Walsh last-ed six innings, only allowing one run and striking out five batters. Things were looking up for the Duhawks on the of-fensive end of the field as well, as they handed MSOE a 12-7 loss, walking away with 15 hits for the game.

T h e D u h a w k s k e p t t h e i r w i n -ning-streak alive with their next two games against Beloit College and Waynesburg. The Duhawks took down Beloit, 7-5, and Waynesburg, 11-9.

In both games, the Duhawks proved that they can battle back after being down and take the game in the final in-nings.

We are playing with a lot of confi-dence out there even though we are a young team, said Leibforth. We have a faster style of play this year that wears out the other team. To keep the streaks going we have to just stay focused, come ready to play every day, and keep the mo-mentum rolling.

In the final game of the invitational, the Duhawks took on Wheaton College. The Duhawks did not have the rhythm they had in their previous three-game win streak, and struggled from both the mound and the plate. Loras walked seven batters and scored only one run on six hits and dropped the game 11-1, closing the weekend out with a loss.

The Duhawks finished the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational with a 4-2 record.

I think these games have set the tone for the season be-cause we have learned a lot with all our wins and losses, said Walsh. Every game we have fought our way back to a victo-ry and thats going to help us so much in the future. Hopefully, we wont need to have come-backs for every win, though.

After graduating all three starting outfielders last year, the question remained whether the Duhawks would be able to fill those positions in time for the start of the season.

The outfield has performed great , said Walsh. They learned a lot from the seniors that graduated last year and they are showing that so far. All of them are hitting and fielding extremely well.

The men will look to build on their promising start as head to Jacksonville, IL, this weekend to take on MacMurray College and Hamline University.

8 The Lorian March 12, 2015 Sports

Breaking up is hard to do

coachs corner

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Ryan GRahamsports editor

Dear Chicago Bulls, Look, we need to talk. Ive been doing a lot of thinking lately and Im sorry but I think we need to break up.

I just dont know if I see us going anywhere, you know? I mean, weve been together for 21 years. Thats a really long time to be a fan of just one

NBA team. Dont get me wrong, we had our fair share of good times together. But lately, things have just been different. All the broken promises, all the injuries to Derrick Rose, all the excuses, Rip Hamilton I just dont know if I can keep doing this.

I just wish we could go back to how it was in the beginning back when Michael and Scottie were winning championships left and right. Ill admit it I didnt know how good I had back then. You were really good to me, but, I was five years old I was young, naive I didnt appreciate you enough back then. I truly apologize for that.

But lately, Ive been feeling, I dont know, a little used, I guess. Its the same story every year with you. This is our year, you say. Derrick will be back, dont worry, you say. And look, I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt in 2012. When Derrick went down in the playoffs, believe me, I was devastated. In 2013, when Derrick needed a year to heal from his surgery, I tried to be understanding. But it just kept getting worse from that point on. The next year, Derrick goes down again, you trade Luol Deng, then you get dominated by the Wizards in the first round of the playoffs believe me, it was hard for me to justify not leaving at that point. Id be lying if I said it didnt cross my mind.

But you promised me that this year would be different. I really wanted to believe you I really tried. You signed Pau Gasol. You drafted Doug McDermott and brought on Nikola Mirotic. I really thought you were getting your life together.

But its like the saying goes: the proof is in the pudding. You didnt hold your end of the bargain, Bulls. Derrick is injured again, Pau Gasol cant play defense, Kirk Hinrich is broken, Joakim Noah forgot how to hold a basketball, Tom Thibodeau is on the verge of going postal and murdering Aaron Brooks its bad. Real bad.

Look, I know you say Derrick is coming back, I know youre still going to make the playoffs, I know youre still better than half the teams in that garbage heap they call the Eastern Conference, but what does that get me? Nothing. Im going to get my hopes up, just like always, just to see you get swept by the Cavaliers in the second round.

I just think its time for us to move on and see other people. I cant help feeling like Im missing out, you know? There are 29 other teams out there. I mean, look at the Atlanta Hawks theyre doing really well for themselves! Their bench is stacked, they play great team basketball, theyre leading the Eastern Conference I mean, theyve already clinched a playoff berth!

Dont give me that look this is hard for me, too. I just think you deserve someone better. Maybe you should talk to some Minnesota Timberwolves fans? Im sure they would appreciate you! You need someone like that, someone whos going to be truly invested in you. Im sorry, but that person just isnt me right now.

I definitely still want to be friends! Ill watch you when youre on TNT or ABC, but I just dont think I can continue to be committed to you. Im just going through some emotional stuff right now that I need to work through. Who knows, maybe well be together again one day, but not until I get my mind right, you know?

Im sorry, Chicago Bulls. Youre a great basketball team, but this just isnt working out for me right now. The only thing I ask is that you dont blame yourself.

Its not you its me.

season statistics(Russmatt Central Florida Invitational)

BattingPlayer ............... G h rbi hr slg% ob% avgSpence Bonner ........ 6 9 3 0 .455 .480 .409Anthony Flattery ..... 6 9 4 0 .455 .462 .409Adam Kennedy ....... 6 8 4 1 .545 .417 .364Patrick Walsh .......... 6 7 4 0 .476 .462 .333Tony Heiser............. 5 6 3 0 .333 .400 .333Luke Leibforth ........ 6 6 3 0 .300 .400 .333Nolan Ritter ............ 6 4 2 0 .300 .375 .286Cole Reeg ................ 6 7 5 0 .462 .321 .269Lucas Jacque ........... 6 4 6 0 .294 .381 .235Nate Even ................ 5 0 0 0 .000 .200 .000Totals .................6 62 34 1 .399 .415 .321Opponents ............. 6 57 34 1 .396 .395 .289

PitchingPlayer .......... app-gs ip w-l bb so avg eraPatrick Walsh ...........1-1 6.0 1-0 2 5 .174 1.50Alex Steines ............. 2-1 5.2 0-0 3 6 .143 1.59Connor Schreck ......3-0 3.1 0-1 1 3 .154 2.70Nick Petruzzi ...........4-0 4.0 1-0 1 3 .353 4.50Adam Schwoebel......1-1 5.1 1-0 1 6 .348 5.07Nick Spiess ..............2-0 3.1 0-0 0 3 .308 5.41Will Petrosky ...........2-2 8.0 0-1 9 6 .333 6.75Kody Massner .........3-0 7.0 1-0 2 6 .321 9.00Brad Schwind .......... 2-1 4.2 0-0 4 4 .391 13.52Totals ................. 6 49.0 4-2 26 43 .289 5.51Opponents ..............6 48.2 2-4 24 31 .321 6.84

photo courtesy of Jim naprsteKJunior first-baseman Spence Bonner puts out an Elmhurst runner during the Duhawks final game of the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational last weekend. Bonner led the team in batting average and on-base percentage during the Duhawks promising 4-2 start in Florida.

loras 6, st. marys 5 (Thursday, March 5th)

r h eSt. Marys ........... 300 100 100 5 7 2Loras ...................200 200 101 6 11 1Loras: Anthony Flattery 4-5, 2 rbi, hrSt. Marys: Ben Buerkle 2-3, run, bbWP: Kody Massner 5.0 ip, 3 er, 2 so, 5 bbLP: Austin Jacobs 0.2 ip, 1 er, 1 so, 1 bb

st. marys 1, loras 0 (Thursday, March 5th)

r h eLoras ...................000 000 0 0 3 2St. Marys ...........000 001 x 1 2 0Loras: Patrick Walsh 2-3St. Marys: Ben Buerkle 1-3, runWP: Jacob Dawson 7.0 ip, 0 er, 5 so, 0 bbLP: Connor Schreck 1.0 ip, 0 er, 1 so

loras 12, msoe 7 (Friday, March 6th)

r h eMSOE ..................000 210 103 7 8 1Loras ....................120 103 05x 12 15 4Loras: Cole Reeg 3-5, 3 rbi, bb, 3 runsMSOE: Ryan Newman 3-5, rbiWP: Patrick Walsh 6.0 ip, 1 er, 5 so, 2 bbLP: Tyler Doyle 2.0 ip, 4 er, 1 so, 1 bb

loras 7, Beloit 5 (Saturday, March 7th)

r h eLoras ...................000 007 000 7 12 1Beloit .................. 003 000 200 5 13 1Loras: Spence Bonner 3-5, rbi, runBeloit: Zach Kolasinski 3-4, rbi, 2 runsWP: Adam Schwoebel 5.1 ip, 3 er, 6 so, 1 bbLP: Ryan Kaveney 5.0 ip, 6 er, 10 so, 4 bb

loras 11, Waynesburg 9 (Sunday, March 8th)

r h eLoras ....................210 000 224 11 15 3Waynesburg......000 060 201 9 12 1Loras: Tony Heiser 3-5, rbi, 2 runsWaynesburg: Matt Bensinger 2-4, rbiWP: Nick Petruzzi 1.1 ip, 0 er, 2 soLP: Derrick Zavatsky 1.2 ip, 6 er, 1 bb

Wheaton 11, loras 1 (Monday, March 9th)

r h eWheaton .............021 404 0 11 15 3Loras ...................000 100 0 1 6 3Loras: Anthony Flattery 2-3Wheaton: Tyler Sigler 3-4, 3 rbi, 3 runsWP: Mike Kaufman 7.0 ip, 1 er, 3 so, bbLP: Will Petrosky 3.0 ip, 3 er, 4 so, 4 bb