PIRATES SUFFER FIRST LOSS IN HEARTBREAKER - Niceville, FL

After an incredible pitching duel, the Pirates took their first loss of the season to Okaloosa-Walton Community College at Raider Field on Sunday. Freshman lefthander Matt Hill (8IP, 6K, 5H)was dazzling in his collegiate debut tossing eight innings of shutout baseball against a very talented Raider offense. Hill filled the zone and kept the Raiders on their heels all afternoon racking up 6 strikeouts while surrendering only 5 hits. He did not give up any bases on balls in the outing. As outstanding as kill was, OWC lefthander Kyle Kreich was able to match him pitch for pitch until the Pirates finally got to him in the ninth inning.

Alex Montes got things started in the ninth by being hit with a pitch. Antonio Callaway followed with a lazer beam triple into the right-center gap that scored the speedy Montes all the way from first base. With the menacing Min Ho Kim at the plate, the Raiders uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Callaway to score giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, the Pirates replaced Hill, who had reached his pitch count, with freshman closer Logan Foster(L 0-1-1, 2H, 3UR). Foster retired the first Raider hitter with a groundball to third, but the next two Pirate hitters were able to reach base with singles that were just inches beyond the reach of Pirate infielders Alex Duhaime and Ben Lillis. Foster hit the next batter with a pitch to load the bases with just one out. Needing a double play ball, the Pirates looked to get just that as Min Ho Kim made an amazing diving stop in the hole, but his subsequent throw sailed and was just out of reach of short stop Ben Lillis. Two runs scored on the play, and the Raiders added the game winner on a single in front of a diving Antonio Callaway in left field with two outs.

With the loss, the Pirates record sits at 2-1. The Pirates travel to Tifton, GA on Tuesday to face non conference opponent ABAC.