By Josh Miller
PALM SPRINGS, CA—The POWER (20-4) dropped another close game to visiting Top Speed (21-3) 4-3 at Palm Springs Stadium on Saturday night.
Starter Alex Watson (Campbellsville University) got his third win of the season for Top Speed after tossing six innings and only giving up one run on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
For the POWER, Austin Lord (Mercer) took his first loss of the season falling to 2-1 as he took over for starter Robert Hook (Chico State) going an inning and a third and giving up three runs on three hits, all of them earned.
Doug Finley (CSU Pueblo) relieved Lord and retired all seven batters he faced while striking out four.
“The last few games our hitting hasn’t been where it needs to be and we’re all going through a collective slump and I know our guys are capable and I have faith in my teammates that they’re going to pick it up,” Finley said after the game.
Top Speed scored a run in the first inning against Hook when Wes Koenig (St. Edwards University) hit a deep triple to right-center field scoring Matt Hoskins (University of Montevallo) from second base.
The POWER tied it up in the bottom of the inning after Hayden Nielsen (BYU) scored Jordan Zimmerman (Mesa CC) on a fielder’s choice to the second baseman.
Zimmerman doubled to start things off for the POWER and then advanced to third on a wild pitch.
The big inning for Top Speed was the sixth when Garrett Everhart (Campbellsville University), Matt Owen (York College), and pinch-hitter Cole Gleason (University of South Alabama) each had RBI doubles against lefty Austin Lord to extend the lead to 4-1.
The POWER scored their second run of the game in the seventh inning when Scotty Burcham (Sacramento State) walked to start the inning, and then wound up scoring on a wild pitch.
In the ninth, Jake Howeth (Texas-Wesleyan) led off the inning with a double, and Nick King (Georgia) singled home Howeth with two outs to cut the lead to 4-3.
After King stole second, pinch-hitter Zach Sterry (Oakland) struck out to end the game starting the first losing streak for the POWER in two years.
The POWER play tomorrow night against visiting Team San Diego (Red) with first pitch being thrown at 7:05.
It is also giveaway Sunday at Palm Springs Stadium with fans receiving a POWER T-shirt upon arrival.
