Fulton, MO– The Westminster Blue Jays entered their final home series of the season 7-11 in conference play. What has been a season full of peaks and valleys will require one final peak to ensure a spot in the conference tournament. This weekend's matchup brought conference opponent Principia, who entered the series 2-17 in conference play.
Game 1: W, 14-7
Recap:
Jack Page started the first game of the series. The righty pitched well through his first five innings. Giving up two runs, one from a solo shot, the other from a groundout. In the meantime, the Blue Jay offense was busy, stringing four runs. In the fifth, the bats truly took off. Cam Schelgl continued his hot hitting, driving in two with a single, followed by back-to-back RBI doubles by Joshua Ramos and Domenic Nordman. Nordman was later driven in by William Crabtree. Jack Page's strong start was stained by a three-run homer in the top half of the sixth, chasing him from the game. The Jays continued to blast the Principia pitching, scoring two in the sixth, both coming from wild pitches, and a two-run blast from Beno Ballard in the eighth, to put the finishing touches on a 14-7 game one victory.
Game 2: L, 4-13
Recap:
The Saturday doubleheader, the Blue Jays Senior Day, was started by none other than senior Derek Archer. Archer returned the favor by pitching six strong innings, giving up only three earned runs and striking out eight. The offense jumped out to an early lead once again as Cam Schlegl doubled in two and Braden Eye hit a three-run homer. Principia scored two unearned runs in between both of Westminster's crooked frames from an error that would've ended the inning, but brought in two instead. Archer would give up three earned runs in the fourth inning, the only earned runs he gave up all game, to bring things to a tie. After Archer was pulled going into the seventh, the bullpen struggled massively. The Blue Jay pen gave up 13 runs over the final three frames, going through seven pitchers. These struggles proved too much for the Jays' offense to come back from, and the Jays lost this one 4-13.
Game 3: W, 12-1
Recap:
In the series matinee and final regular-season home game of the year, the Jays needed a win. They turned to senior lefty Blake Althuisuis. In possibly his final career start at Saucier Field, Althuisuis gave the Jays the best performance of his season. The senior pitched five innings of one-run ball, giving up only two hits and striking out a season high 10 batters. The Blue Jay offense dominated just as much. Cam Schlegl continued to hit the cover off the ball, getting the scoring started with a three-run homer, followed by a Domenic Nordman RBI single. In the second inning, Aden Pecka drove in two with a single before Schlegl brought both him and Brett Montgomery home with a double. The very next inning, senior Troy Romero got in on the scoring, driving in a run with an RBI triple, and later scored on a Braden Eye single. In the sixth, who else but Cam Schlegl would get another RBI hit, this time in the form of a single. Off the backs of Blake Althuisuis' great start and Cameron Schlegl's out-of-this-world weekend, the Jays won this one 12-1, and took the series.
Westminster will wrap up its regular season against Greenville on the road on Friday, May 1. This series will determine who gets the home game in the SLIAC play-in game, as both teams enter the series tied for sixth in the conference with 9-12 in conference records.
