Baseball Splits Home Opener with Humber Saturday

Tecumseh, ON – In a rematch of last year's provincial and national final the St. Clair College Men's Baseball team split a doubleheader in their home opener with Humber College (Etobicoke) Saturday afternoon at Lacasse Park in Tecumseh.  St. Clair won the opener 8-1 but dropped the second game 10-0. 

In the opening game the Saints scored 3 runs in the bottom of the first to take the early advantage.  Humber answered in the top of the 2nd inning with a single run which is where the game stood until the 5th inning when St. Clair broke the game wide open with 5 runs to complete the scoring.  First year hurler Luis Barrios (Cali, Colombia) was the story once again collecting his 2nd win for the Saints who allowed just the one earned run on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 10 Humber batters.  The Saints needed only 6 hits as a team with no extra base hits to score their 8 runs but took advantage of 6 free passes and an additional 2 hit batsmen.  3rd year centerfielder Brendan Renaud (Amherstburg, ON/St. Thomas of Villanova) had a single and 2 RBI's for St. Clair in the game to go with a walk and run scored.  

However, in the 2nd game Humber stymied the Saints in a mercy shortened 6 innings where they only mustered 3 hits.  Micah Harris (Cottam, ON/Essex District) took the loss on the mound for St. Clair surrendering 4 hits and 5 runs only 1 of which was earned while striking out 4 batters to go with 2 walks.  4th year outfielder Austin Oulds (Chatham, ON) had a double in three trips to go with an HBP for the Saints offensively.  

The Saints completed the weekend Sunday with an exhibition doubleheader against the Eastern Michigan University Club team (Ypsilanti, MI) where the won 10-8 and finished tied 2-2 after rains forced the suspension of the second game.  Renaud, second baseman Carter Reh (Harrow, ON/Kingsville District) and outfielder Ryley Vernon (Lasalle, ON/St. Thomas of Villanova) each had two hits in the opening game.  Evan Ferguson (Windsor, ON/St. Joseph's) picked up the win with 5 innings of work giving up 1 earned run on 5 hits while striking out 3 batters.  In the second game Vernon had a solo home run for St. Clair with pitcher Emilio Valdes (Miami, FL) striking out 8 batters in 4 and 2/3 innings.  

The St. Clair Baseball team hosts the University of Windsor Club team in more exhibition action on Tuesday at Lacasse Park with the first pitch scheduled for 7:00pm of the 9 inning affair.