Baseball wins first home game of the year

The Seattle University men's baseball team snapped an 11-game losing streak and secured its first home win of the 2010 campaign April 9 against Concordia University.

Seattle U defeated the Concordia Cavaliers 8-1 at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue, Wash.
The day before, the Redhawks suffered a 6-0 loss to Pacific Lutheran University at home.

The Redhawks took the lead in the bottom of the first inning with a groundout from junior infielder Josh Kalalau that scored Cullen Hendrickson, a freshman infielder.

With the bases loaded in the fourth inning, freshman first-baseman Bryndon Ecklund hit one over the left-field fence. It was his first home run of the season and the first grand slam by a Seattle U player in 24 years.

Ecklund had a four-hit night.

Sophomore Brandon Kizer pitched the first seven innings, only giving up four hits and one unearned run. Additionally, he struck out a season-high seven batters.

Kizer leads the team with 41 innings pitched and 22 strike outs. Against Concordia, he picked up his first win of the season and lowered his ERA by almost a full run from 5.29 to 4.39.

Freshman Joey Pulitano pitched the last two innings of the game, allowing only one hit. Pulitano also struck out four batters.

The Redhawks headed to Wenatchee, Wash. Tuesday to face Washington State University on the Paul Thomas Sr. Baseball Stadium, a neutral field, in a game titled the "Cross State Showdown."

After a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning, the Redhawks fell to the Cougars 8-4.

The Redhawks were first on the board with two runs in the second inning but WSU came back to tie the game in the bottom of the second.

In the third, Seattle U had a 4-2 advantage that WSU chipped away at with single runs in the fourth and sixth inning.

In the seventh inning, Seattle U took the lead again when freshman outfielder Sean Narby came through with an RBI single to put the Redhawks up 5-4. But they could not hold off the Cougars who came back with a four-run eighth inning to defeat the Redhawks.

After their loss against WSU, the Redhawks dropped to 4-23.

The Redhawks will return to Bannerwood Park for a three-game weekend series against the University of Nevada April 16-18.

Seattle U will play 14 of their next 15 games at home, with the one away game taking place against the University of Washington at the Husky Ballpark May 4.

Taylor may be reached at sports@su-spectator.com