CU Bats Explode in 9-2 Win over Viterbo

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Clarke baseball team (29-12 overall, 15-8 Heart) scored seven unanswered runs in the first five innings en route to a 9-2 rout over the Viterbo V-Hawks (12-30) on Thursday at Viterbo OAC stadium. 

The first inning saw the Pride score four runs, the first by way of an error that scored Daniel Phyle and placed Victor Lara on second, who would then advance to third off a single from Bryce Hinton at the next at-bat. With two on and one out, Brendan O'Connor launched a three-run shot to put the Pride up 4-0. 

It was O'Connor's first home run of the season, which gave the junior out of Homer Glen, Ill., his fourth hit in the last five games. 

In the second inning, Hinton added on the Pride's fifth run of the day with an RBI single, scoring Phyle. Clarke tacked on a run in the third when Kevin Javier singled, scoring Taiga Sato and extending the CU lead to 6-0. 

The fifth inning saw Bubba Thompson score off a passed ball, giving the sophomore 17 scores on the season and capping the Pride's 7-0 run. 

Viterbo got itself on the board at the bottom of the fifth inning off a two RBI singles to cut the lead down to five. 

In the seventh inning, Sato tacked on two insurance runs with a two-run home run, closing the game out with a 9-2 Pride victory. 

Greg Bennett started on the mound for the Pride and picked up his first win of the season after pitching five innings, striking out three. Brendan Boily and Tayden Patterson each pitched two innings and combined for four strikeouts with one hit. The Pride combined for 12 hits compared to the V-Hawks' five. 

The Pride will return back to Dubuque and start a five-game home stand when it welcomes in Peru State on Saturday for the first of four games against the Wildcats. The teams will play doubleheaders at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at Spiegel Park in Peosta.