The Cougar baseball team traveled to Presentation where they lost a couple of heartbreakers.  The Saints rallied for game winning runs in the bottom of the sixth inning in each contest.

Game 1 Box Score

The Saints scored first in the third inning, manufacturing a single run off Cougar starter Jordan Gegen, who would go the distance.

Meanwhile, Presentation starter Spencer Sudbeck baffled the Cougars until the top of the six when UMM struck for two runs and the lead.

Left fielder Scott Barta led off with a single and center fielder Nick Bacon followed with another base hit.  First year Drew Lundquist sacrificed to the pitcher, advancing Barta and Bacon.  Shortstop Matt Peterson would bring home Barta with a second straight sacrifice.  One batter later, senior Nik Randall singled, scoring Bacon from third.

In the bottom half of the inning the Saints touched Gegen for two hits and had runners on the corners when a throwing error from the outfield allowed both runners to score. 

But the Cougars had one more rally.  In the top of the seventh, facing reliever Sam Heintzman, the Cougars earned three walks to load the bases with two outs.  Heintzman would strike out Peterson to end the game.

Game 2 Box Score

Poor defense victimized the Cougars as they committed five errors en route to a 4-3 loss.  In particular, errors in the fifth and sixth innings allowed the Saints to score the tying and game-winning runs.

Junior Lee Arvold pitched well over five innings, allowing two earned runs.  Kyle Blair, in relief, would take the loss, giving up one run.

The Cougars picked up two runs in the second inning.  Gegen led off with a single, stole second, and came home on a base hit from catcher Mike McGill.

The Saints would score twice in the bottom half of the inning to even the game.

UMM went ahead again in the fifth when Gegen singled home second baseman Ian Olson from third.

But the Cougars could not shake the Saints who again evened the game with a run in the bottom half.

In the sixth inning, Blair gave up a lead off hit Sudbeck who was replaced on first by runner Cody Wesch.  Wesch stole second and then came home on a throwing error from Josh Ledin who was throwing to first.

In the top of the seventh, Randall earned a base on balls, but the Cougars could not score him against Heintzman, who came in to relieve starter Dustin Pickerel.

The pair of losses drop UMM to 3-17 overall and 2-7 in the UMAC.

UMM plays three games this weekend, starting with nine innings against Crown College on Friday afternoon.