Calmes scintillating in G2 as Euts get first-ever win over Columbia

ALTON, IL – The homer-happy Columbia Cougars opened a Saturday afternoon doubleheader with and 8-5 win over the Eutectics, but Tristan Calmes stole the show in game two. Columbia hit four homers in game one including three in a four-run third that powered the Cougars past UHSP ace Barrett Lohman. But game two belonged to Tristan Calmes as he went the distance, struck out a career-high and UHSP record 17, was in command all day and handcuffed one of the most potent offenses in the AMC. Calmes and Cougars' starter Parker Anderson went toe-to-toe in a game dripping with drama as the Eutectics walked off for their first-ever victory over Columbia, 3-2 on a bases loaded walk by Holden Campbell in the bottom of the ninth. The win guarantees UHSP their first-ever winning season both overall and in the AMC.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

GAME 1 – COLUMBIA 8, UHSP 5

• A walk, steal and RBI single by Dylan Carlton put Columbia on top of UHSP 1-0 in the top of the first. Deklan Riggs tied it up in the second with an RBI single to score Joe Celeste who had singled with one out.
• Zac Fruend, Joe Hoerchler and Joey Marcinkiewicz all homered in the third to give the Cougars a 5-1 advantage. It was the first of the season for Hoerchler while Fruend leads the club with 16. Columbia entered the game leading the AMC in homeruns with 54, two better than Crowley's Ridge.
• UHSP closed to within two with a pair in the bottom of the third as Brandon Gibbs scored on a wild pitch and Jacob Grim had an RBI ground out.
• Columbia's leading RBI-man, Tyler Renn, drove in his 43^rd of the season in the fourth with a single up the middle in the fourth to add to the lead and make it 6-3.
• Marcinkiewicz hit his second homerun of the game and tenth of the season with one out in the fifth and Jack Dunn added an RBI single as the Cougars extended the lead to 8-3.
• The Eutectics gave themselves a chance scoring two in the sixth as Dustin Aleck delivered a two-run single to right-center. Aleck now has ten RBI's over the last four games combined and six hits over that same span.
• A double-play after a leadoff single from Barrett Bressette ended any threat for the Eutectics in the seventh.
• Brayden Steves came on to relieve Lohman to begin the sixth and kept the Eutectics in it. He threw a three-up, three-down sixth and gave only a single hit in the seventh. Steves struck out three in his outing.
• Barrett Lohman (5-4) suffered the loss going five innings. Columbia touched him for eight runs on 11 hits. He walked two and struck out six.
• Kolten Payne (7-1) got the win going 5.1IP striking out six. He allowed five runs on eight hits.
• Eric Fields picked up his third save going 1.2IP giving only one hit and striking out one.
• Joey Marcinkiewicz went 3-for-4 with two runs, three driven in and the pair of HR's.
• Dustin Aleck had the lone multi-game from a Eutectic going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI's.

GAME 2 – UHSP 3, COLUMBIA 2 

• Tyler Renn got into the homerun party in the fourth to open the scoring in game two. After falling behind in the count 0-2, he drilled his 12^th homerun of year over the advertising boards above the leftfield wall.
• Dustin Aleck continued his recent tear with a solo homerun in the bottom of the sixth, his third of the season. Aleck took a 1-0 pitch and hit a no-doubter than he deposited over the left-centerfield wall against Columbia starter Parker Anderson to tie the game at 1-1.
• UHSP took the lead with a run in the bottom of the seventh. Ethan Harrell reached on a ground ball to second that resulted in a bad throw to first that allowed Harrell to reach. Liam Macphie courtesy ran for Harrell and came in to score from first when Holden Campbell roped a double to the gap in left center that went all the way to the wall to put UHSP in front 2-1.
• Columbia immediately tied it in the eighth when Jack Dunn doubled to open the frame. With Colton Nichols running for Dunn, Zac Fruend struck out a pitch in the dirt and on the throw to first from Harrell, Nichols went to third. Deklan Riggs made a throw to third to try to retire Nichols, but the ball defected away from Joe Celeste at third and allowed Nichols to score to tie the game at 2-2. With two runners on, UHSP starter Tristan Calmes struck out Hunter Shoulta to end the threat and keep it tied.
• With runners at second and third and two out in the ninth, Calmes struck out dangerous leadoff hitter Zac Fruend for his 17^th K of the game on his 153^rd pitch, his eighth strikeout in the last nine outs as he fanned the side in the ninth.
• Tristan Calmes (5-4) was sensational all day in easily his best outing of the season as he picked up a win he deserved. The strong righthander was in control all game, got ahead of hitters and never lost command. At one stretch in the middle innings, he struck out seven of ten batters including the side in the seventh. His 17 strikeouts eclipse the previous UHSP record of 15 set by Barrett Lohman last March against Harris-Stowe. Calmes' previous personal high was 13 against Hannibal-LaGrange almost a year ago to the day.
• Columbia starter Parker Anderson entered the game with six walks and 62 strikeouts on the year. He allowed two runs on six hits over eight innings and departed with the game tied at 2-2. He walked two and struck out five.
• Eric Fields pitched for the second straight game after picking up the save in game one. In game two, he suffered his first loss of the year (7-1) as he gave up two hits, struck out one and walked two include Campbell that gave UHSP the walk-off win.

NEXT UP:

Columbia and UHSP play the rubber game of the series at 1:00p game on Sunday afternoon. The game is the regular-season finale for the Eutectics (21-19, 12-8 AMC), while Columbia (26-11-1, 16-3-1 AMC) has a pair of non-conference games left in the regular season as they play William Woods and Westminster on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.