CHEROKEE — The Southeast Lancers handed the Crest Lancers their first loss of the season after taking both games of Monday’s doubleheader 6-5 and 5-3.
A walk-off RBI single decided the first contest while six unanswered runs decided the second as Crest fell to 6-2 overall and in the Three Rivers League.
Senior starting pitcher Jensen Barker took the loss in the opener. Barker tallied six strikeouts over six innings while allowing five runs on five hits and two walks.
Freshman catcher Andrew Donovan put Crest on the scoreboard with the first of his team-leading two RBIs in the opening frame.
Crest’s bats then went silent until the fifth inning as Southeast took a 3-1 lead.
Donovan struck again with a pop fly. Sophomore second baseman Kole Walter cut Southeast’s lead to 5-4 with a grounder, then a bases-loaded walk deadlocked the game 5-5 in the sixth.
Of Crest’s three hits, Barker accounted for two and Donovan had the other one. Despite an exponential improvement in hitting during the finale, the result was the same as Southeast held on for the win.
Barker gave the Lancers an early lead off an RBI single in the opening frame, then extended Crest’s lead to 2-0 in the second inning with another RBI single. An RBI single by Donovan extended Crest’s lead to 3-0, but that was as close as they would get to victory as Southeast scored six unanswered runs for the win.
Senior starter Drake Weir tied Walter for the team lead in strikeouts with three each. Barker had a team-leading two RBIs followed by Donovan with one. Barker also had a team-leading three hits, followed by Donovan with two.
Crest returns to the diamond Thursday, when they host Southern Lyon County for a doubleheader, and a brief departure from Three Rivers League play. First pitch for the opener is at 3:30 p.m.
The Lady Lancers also faced Southeast Monday, but the results were not available at press time.
