ELGIN, Ill. – Despite a superb pitching performance from sophomore Josh Arnold, the Purdue University Northwest baseball team fell to St. Francis (Ill.) 1-0 in Monday’s Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament elimination game at Judson’s Hoffer Field.
Arnold (Lowell, Ind./Lowell) didn’t give up the game’s lone run until the sixth, when St. Francis’ Anthony Faron connected on a sacrifice fly to score Kyle Burton from third and give the seventh-seeded Fighting Saints (32-25) a 1-0 lead and deciding score.
USF starter John Riordan held the Pride (30-18) off-balance all game long, allowing his lone hit in the game in the eighth inning and during PNW’s lone scoring chance, when senior Tyler Crussen (Wheeler, Ind./Wheeler) lined a hit to right-center field with runners on first and second.
But the USF right fielder delivered a perfect throw to the plate to get the out at the plate and end the threat.
Arnold scattered six hits, walked one and struck out three in his eight-inning effort.
The loss eliminated the Pride from the CCAC Tournament, after PNW lost its opener to St. Xavier and then bounced back Saturday to eliminated top-seed and host Judson, 3-2, on Saturday.
PNW will lose seven seniors: Luke Schmidt, Matt Sandoval, Tyler Crussen, Jake Lindeman, Brody Kutch, Andy Kovarik, and Cody Moskovsky after finishing the regular-season with a stellar 20-7 mark in CCAC play.
