WINTER HAVEN, FL

UMPI Baseball was back in action Tuesday, wrapping up their series with Lesley, but it was a tough day for the Owls as they dropped both games of the doubleheader to Lesley. UMPI struggled to slow down the Lynx offense, falling 13-2 in game one and 23-1 in game two. 

Game 1: 13-2 Lynx 
Game one started off competitive, but things quickly got out of hand after the middle innings. Lesley struck first in the opening frame with a sacrifice fly from Gerlys Martinez, then added another in the second on a wild pitch to go up 2-0. UMPI answered in the third when Diego Maldonado drove in Aiden Toy on a single to left-center, cutting the deficit to 3-1. But that would be one of the few bright spots offensively for the Owls. 

The fourth inning proved to be the turning point. Control issues and defensive struggles piled up, as Lesley used a mix of walks, passed balls, and timely hits to put up a crooked number and blow the game open. The Lynx kept adding on from there, stretching the lead to 13-1 by the sixth. UMPI scratched across one more run in the sixth on an RBI groundout from Aiden Toy, but the damage had already been done. 

Top Performers:
Despite the scoreline, there were some solid individual efforts at the plate. Mason Long led the way, going 2-for-3, while Hector Perez and Garrett Chadwick each picked up hits. Maldonado drove in the Owls' first run and finished 1-for-2 with an RBI. 
On the mound, Seth Espling took the loss, working 3.2 innings. Matthew Pelletier and Potter Raymond provided relief, with Raymond tossing 1.1 scoreless innings to close things out. 

Game 2: 23-1 Lynx 
Game two followed a similar script, with Lesley jumping on UMPI early and never letting up.  The Lynx came out swinging in the first inning, putting up four runs behind multiple RBI hits, including a two-run single from Gerlys Martinez and an RBI double from Owen Finnegan. UMPI managed to get one back in the bottom half when Ronnie Golmon scored on a wild pitch, but that would be the only run of the game for the Owls. 

From there, Lesley's offense continued to roll. They added runs in nearly every inning, taking advantage of defensive miscues and stringing together hits to keep the pressure on. A big sixth inning blew the game wide open, and the Lynx carried that momentum into the seventh to cap off the 23-1 win. 

Top Performers:
Offensively, Ronnie Golmon was a bright spot, going 2-for-2 and scoring the lone run. Diego Maldonado also had a solid day at the plate with two hits, while Mitchell Kley added another. On the mound, Diego Maldonado got the start and battled through 4.2 innings, striking out seven. Colby King and Romeo Harris came on in relief, but the Lynx lineup proved difficult to contain all game long. 

It was a tough overall day for UMPI, but a few Owls stood out:  Ronnie Golmon: Reached base multiple times in both games and scored the only run in game two Diego Maldonado: Combined 3 hits on the day and added an RBI in game one Mason Long: Led game one with a 2-hit performance 

Next Up:
The Owls will look to bounce back quickly as they turn their attention to a matchup against Keuka College. After a rough day, UMPI will aim to clean things up and get back in the win column.