Alamosa, Colorado — In today's doubleheader, the Grizzlies fell twice in two tough losses despite both
Phil Carter and
Cesar Loma breaking multiple career and single-season records. The Grizzlies dropped both games by 1 run, with the scores being 7-6 in game one and 12-11 in game two. The two losses put the Grizzlies at a record of 17-32(13-18 RMAC).
Regis 7, Adams State 6
In game one, Regis jumped out to a quick lead, scoring 3 runs in the first inning after collecting 4 hits and a hit by pitch. Although Regis scored 3 runs in the first inning, the Grizzlies' starter
Connor Murray found his groove, going another 4 ⅔ innings before getting taken out of the game. Murray stayed strong after the first inning, only allowing 3 runs, 2 of which came from a 2-out double in his last inning of work, the sixth inning. He finished with a final line of 5 ⅔ innings, 11 hits, 6 runs, 2 walks, 1 hit batter, and 3 strikeouts.
Wilhelm Lorenz and
Will Cohen finished the game for the Grizzlies. Lorenz came in after Murray was taken out in the sixth inning during a crucial moment with runners at second and third, striking out Regis's best hitter and ending the scoring threat. Following Lorenz, Cohen entered the game to finish it, throwing the seventh inning, allowing no hits and 1 unearned run.
Offensively, the Grizzlies collected 10 hits and 2 walks, totaling 12 base runners. Leading the way for the Grizzlies were
Josh Parks,
Josiah Hall, and
Phil Carter, who all recorded 2 hits. Parks went 2 for 4, with a double and 2 runs scored; Hall also went 2 for 4 and collected 2 RBIs; and Carter went 2 for 4 as well, hitting a home run, scoring 1 run, and collecting 1 RBI. Carter's home run was his fifteenth of the season, which tied the Grizzlies' all-time single-season home run record.
Ultimately, the difference in the game was the Grizzlies' inability to get the offense rolling until late in the game. They scored 3 of their 6 runs in the final inning, along with 4 of their 10 hits, while the Regis offense got rolling immediately from the first inning throughout.
Regis 12, Adams State 11
Game two was a back-and-forth fight throughout the entire game until the final out was recorded. Scoring began in the second inning for both teams as Regis and Adams State scored 2 runs each. Regis scored on an RBI single and a sac fly, while the Grizzlies scored on a 2-run home run by
Phil Carter. Carter's home run in the second inning was his sixteenth of the season, breaking the single-season record for most home runs in a season. After both teams scored in the second,
Cesar Loma, the starting pitcher for the Grizzlies, was able to put up a zero in the third, allowing the Grizzlies to take the lead in the third inning with their 4-run half. The Grizzlies scored on a Josh Park 2-run home run, his eleventh of the year, along with RBI singles by both
Josiah Hall and
Christian Altamirano. Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, Regis responded immediately, taking the lead back with a 5-run inning at the top of the fourth, giving them a 7-6 lead. The scoring continued with Regis adding 2 more runs in the fifth inning, extending their lead to 9-6 going into the bottom half of the inning. This is when the Grizzlies delivered one of the biggest hits of the game as
Alex Hernandez came off the bench with 2 runners on and hit a 3-run game-tying home run to left center. The home run was Hernandez's third of the year and provided a huge boost for the Grizzly offense, putting them right back in the game. After Hernandez's home run, the game was finally decided in the seventh inning, which proved crucial. Regis scored 3 runs in the top of the seventh, whereas the Grizzlies could only score 2, resulting in a final score of 12-11 in favor of Regis.
The true difference between Regis and the Grizzlies today was Regis's ability to get the clutch hit compared to the Grizzlies' inability to do so. A significant missed opportunity for the Grizzlies occurred in the sixth inning when they couldn't score Macs Carillo after he hit a leadoff triple, which gave Regis the momentum to take the lead in the seventh inning, preventing the Grizzlies from securing a win on Adams State's Senior Day.
Offensively, the Grizzlies were led by
Phil Carter,
Christian Altamirano,
Alex Hernandez, and Josh Park. Carter had a great game, going 2 for 2 with 2 walks, a home run, and a double, 3 runs scored, and 2 RBIs. Altamirano went 3 for 4 with 1 RBI and 2 runs scored; Hernandez was 1 for 1 with his massive 3-run home run; and Park went 1 for 4 with a home run, 2 RBIs, and 1 run scored.
On the mound,
Cesar Loma started the game for the Grizzlies, making Adams State history. In Loma's start, he claimed the career strikeouts record, setting the new mark at 181, and became the first Adams State pitcher to record 200 innings over a career, finishing with 200 ⅓ innings over his four years. Loma's final line today was 3 ⅔ innings, 5 hits, 7 runs (4 earned), 5 walks, 1 hit by pitch, and 2 strikeouts.
Looking Forward
Looking towards tomorrow, the Grizzlies will finish the final game of the series against Regis with a 9 inning game starting at noon MST. Adams State will look to bounce back on Saturday after two tough losses to Regis today. Tomorrow's game will allow them to lock up fifth place in the RMAC standings going into the RMAC tournament that starts next Wednesday. The final game of the series will again be held at the Grizzlies' home field here in Alamosa, Colorado.
