NO PLAYOFFS FOR WLU MEN’S BASEBALL

The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks baseball team has been struggling to maintain the success of their 2009 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) silver medal season.

For the second straight weekend the Hawks went 1-3 in their two doubleheaders, and consequently lost any chance of playing in the post-season. This brings them to 4-8 for the season.

This weekend the losses were at the hands of the McMaster Maurauders who swept the Hawks and the Waterloo Warriors who won one of their two contests against Laurier.

“Obviously it was very disappointing for us,” commented assistant coach Dennis Schooley. “It was a tough weekend overall losing three games by one run.”

Against the Marauders the Hawks lost 6-5 in both games, and in Waterloo’s loss were shut down 1-0.

“I think it’s a reflection of our season as a whole,” added Schooley. “We’ve lost five or six games by only one run and with such a short season a couple of mistakes really add up.”

First-year Nathan Loehle was the hero for the Hawks in their first match-up against the Waterloo Warriors, hitting a three run walk-off bomb in the bottom of the ninth to secure the 5-4 win.

“To come into a situation like that is every ball players dream,” commented Loehle. “The feeling was incredible, just walking up to the plate there was so much adrenaline.”

Pinch hitter Stephen Dunlop and Matt Sacheli performed their duties, with a walk and a single respectively, to set things up for Loehle.

The Laurier comeback was after a disheartening first inning that gave up four Warrior runs off of a pair of errors at short stop.

For the game, Loehle went 2-4 with four RBI. Other notable hitters were third-baseman Ryan Panas and left-fielder Daniel Murphy who both went 3-4.

Right-handed hurler Jack Malone picked up the win and the complete game for the Hawks, giving up only two hits on the game.

“It’s frustrating when you look at our players and the program as a whole, and the investment of time our team puts in,” said Schooley. “So when you don’t reach your ultimate goal – a championship, it’s frustrating.”

Despite missing the playoffs, the Hawks will still play two games against Queen’s this Saturday at Bechtel Park.

“All we can do right now is go out, play hard, and win a couple games against Queen’s,” said Loehle. “We can learn for next year what we need to do as a team to come out on top of the league.”

Game times are at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.