[Baseball] Bees split CCAC opener with Trolls

The St. Ambrose baseball team opened up their conference schedule with a Thursday afternoon doubleheader in Palos Heights, Ill.

The Fighting Bees split the two-game set with the Trinity Christian Trolls (5-10, 1-1 CCAC), losing a close one in the opener and then unloaded for 14 runs to pick up the bookend game.

In game 1, the Bees built a 6-0 lead over the Trolls. Cooper Huckabone and Chris McFaraland got the Bees started with a pair of RBI-singles to take the quick lead. Mike Snow then added to the score with a 2-RBI single to center in the fourth, followed by a 2-RBI single off the bat of Nate Villagomez in the top of the sixth to build a six-run lead.

The Bees would eventually let the lead slip away after the Trolls scratched a run across in their half of the sixth, which they followed up with a four-spot in the seventh to cut the lead to one. The Trolls would walk it off with a 2-RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to end the game 7-6.

Nick Vollmert tossed 6 1/3 innings as the starter, only allowing two earned runs and punching out five along the way. Anthony Barrios was credited with the loss.

St. Ambrose did not mess around in the second game. After Trinity Christian scored the opening run in the top of the first, the Fighting Bees rallied off 11 straight runs over four innings. The Bees would add three more in the bottomn of the sixth to bring home the 14-5 win.

The bats were hot for the Bees in game 2. Adrien Zietara brought in a game-high four RBIs. Shawn Rigsby, Bryce Vincent, and Villagomez each punched in two apiece. Chris McFaraland went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate and scored a game-high three runs. On the bump was Michael Dudek who went five innings as the starter and twirled six K's.

The split with Trinity Christian moves the Bees to 10-4 overall and 1-1 in the CCAC. The Bees will get another crack at the Trolls this weekend with a single game at Modern Woodmen Park Saturday afternoon.