Pirates Baseball earned a split in final two games against MCC-Maple Woods on Saturday to move into a tie for 7th place in region standings heading into the final weekend. The Pirates, with an 8-20 region record, face St. Louis Community College on Saturday and Sunday to close the region schedule. Doubleheaders will be played at Burleigh Grimes Field with a 1:00pm first pitch on Saturday and a noon start for Sunday. Pirate sophomore players will also be recognized in a ceremony between games on Saturday.
Game one the Pirates took a 5-4 victory in extra innings. Lucas Hampton got the win on the mound after blowing the save attempt in the bottom of the 7th inning. Trae Brownell pitched the first 6.1 innings but had to turn the ball over to Hampton to try to record the final two outs with the Pirates leading by a run. Hampton couldn't hold the Monarchs offense from plating that tying run but did settle down after that to earn his 2nd win of the season.
The offensive charge was led by a 3-4 effort from Michaelle Collado. Four other Pirates also hammered out two hits apiece. The Pirates plated the game winning run in the bottom of the 8th inning on a walk off wild pitch. Collado scored that winning run after starting the inning off with a double.
The Pirates were aiming for a 4-game sweep of Maple Woods in the finale but came up a bit short, losing by the score of 8-4. Tristen Sewell took the loss for the Pirates. He allowed 4 runs in 5 innings pitched. The leading hitters for NCMC were Enrique Madera (2-4, 1 run) and Connor Quick (2-3, 1 run and 1 RBI).