Pioneers Conclude Dismal Spring Trip

Winter Haven, FL – The Pioneers baseball team finished their traveling Nine Guys Named JOE southern trip by losing their fourth and fifth straight contests to Erie on Saturday, 9-4 and 10-1.  The losses bring their season record to a disappointing 4-7 thus far.

Delta never really competed in either game Saturday, surrendering two quick runs to Erie in the first inning before a Danny Diaz solo blast made it 2-1 heading in to the bottom of the second.  The Kats tacked on three more in the second and three in the fifth to pull ahead 8-2.  Delta would get a couple late runs for the 9-4 final. 

Guy Henika was tagged with the loss for the Pioneers to drop his record to 0-2 on the season.  He threw three innings giving up three earned runs on four hits.  Robin VanOrden threw three innings as well to complete the game.  Offensively, Diaz added a single to his homerun while Randy Rangle went 2-for-2 with a walk and a hit by pitch to reach safely in all four of his plate appearances.

Game two wasn't much different for Delta as Erie raced out to a 8-0 lead through six innings before Delta responded en route to a 10-1 victory.   Joe Tany suffered the loss on the bump to drop his record to 0-1 on the year.  Offensively, it was the fourth game on the young season in which Delta was no-hit through their first five innings.  Dylan Steinke broke up the no-hit bid this time, lacing a double to left-center before picking up another single in the seventh to lead the offense. 

"We're disappointed and we know we have to get better in order to have any chance of competing for an MCCAA title and post-season berth.  We show small signs every game of what we are capable of but we lack consitency and we lack the mental mind-set needed to compete at the college level right now."

The Pioneers will play next on Sunday, March 18^th in Fort Wayne, Indiana as they travel to take on Ivy Tech CC in a double-header.  First pitch is scheduled for 1pm.