PITTSBURG – The Raven Baseball team headed south on Sunday and Monday for a three-game series with St. Ambrose University. Due to temperatures and snow still packing Laughlin Field, the Ravens traveled to the Pittsburg State University campus to take on the Fighting Bees on Al Ortolani Field.
Benedictine (7-1) continued their hot start to the season, taking all three games over St. Ambrose (0-3). On Sunday night, the Ravens earned a 15-3 win and then they swept the doubleheader on Monday, 7-0 and 16-3.
Michael Kruse took the hill for the Ravens on Sunday night and held the Bees to just three runs off seven hits over five and two-thirds to earn the win. Ben Costello finished off the game, throwing three and one-third scoreless innings while holding the Bees to just one hit.
The Ravens gave Kruse plenty of run support, scoring 15 runs off 15 hits as they broke the game open with 10 runs over the fourth and fifth inning.
Logan Finlsy went 3 for 3 and missed hitting for the cycle by a single as he recorded a double, triple and home run while driving in two. Jacob Pavlyak led the Ravens in RBIs with six and he also added a double. Daryl Meyers added three RBI as he also recorded a home run as the Ravens three-four-five hitters combined to go 9 of 14 at the plate.
Monday, Kam Miller earned the start and gave head coach Eric Peterson a complete-game effort. Miller went the distance for the Ravens, holding St. Ambrose scoreless off three hits with six strikeouts.
Jacob Curry connected on his first collegiate home run as he went 2 for 2 with two RBIs. Austin Watamaniuk set the table in the leadoff spot with two hits and a RBI while Finley added a double and RBI.
In the series finale, the Ravens bats came alive again as they scored their 16 runs off 17 hits in support of Mark Hartley and Ben Hankammer. Hartley earned the start and threw five innings to earn the win. He finished with five strikeouts while holding the Bees to one earned run off three hits. Hankammer threw the final two innings, holding St. Ambrose to just one hit with five strikeouts.
The Ravens recorded seven extra-base hits. Watamaniuk, Myers, Pavlyak, Curry, Jacob Slaten and Drew Piontek all recorded multiple hits at the plate. Watamaniuk, Peter Hahn, Jordan Williams and Myers finished with a double each, Pavlyak added a tripe while Curry and Michael Slaten capped off the Ravens hitting effort with a home run each.
Benedictine is scheduled to host a pair of cross-division Heart doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday but the forecast for the remainder of the week and the first of next week does not look very baseball friendly. Check back in on the website and the various social media platforms later in the week for schedule updates.
