(Berea, Ky.) Ben Bournay (Dowagiac, Mich.) extended his current hit streak to thirteen games, but an eight run bottom of the eighth inning by the Mountaineers of Berea College helped them come all the way back from a 9-4 Saints lead to defeat Holy Cross by the final score of 12-9. The loss for the Saints, their sixth consecutive, drops their season record to 5-9 overall. 

"There's not a lot be said after the way this one ended," said Saints coach Brian Blondell. "We had the game in our hands and gave up an eight run inning late in the game. It's a tough pill to swallow."

Things started out very positive for the Saints in their final game of their 2013 spring break trip in Kentucky as they jumped out on the Mountaineers in the first two innings to score five unanswered runs.

Berea slowly began to chip away as they picked up one run in each of the next three innings to cut into the Saints lead and make it a 6-3 lead in favor of Holy Cross after four innings.

Blake Correll (Oak Creek, Wisc.) brought home the Saints seventh run in the top half of the fifth inning with a single to left-center scoring Daniel Wawrzusin (Potomac, MD) from second base.

The Mountaineers added their fourth run in the bottom of the sixth inning before the Saints added a run apiece in the seventh and eighth innings to make it a 9-4 advantage and just six outs from closing out their Kentucky trip on a positive note.

Unfortunately things didn't go as planned.

Berea produced a late rally in the bottom of the eighth inning where they registered eight hits that produced eight runs to overtake the Saints with a 12-9 lead.

Paul Kappaz (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) would reach first base on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth, but that was all the positivity the Saints would see in the inning as the Mountaineers were quick to retire the Saints and hand them their sixth consecutive loss.

Trevor Hurley (Sioux Falls, SD) led the Saints at the plate after going 3-for-4 three runs scored and two stolen bases. Ben Bournay's impressive run at the plate continued as the junior picked up two more hits (2-for-5) to extend his hitting streak to thirteen consecutive games. Bournay also knocked in two runs and picked up a stolen base. Daniel Wawrzusin knocked in three runs on the game to give him a team high ten RBI's.

As a team, the Saints had a season high six stolen bases in seven attempts.

Austin Kiser-Petrie (Star City, Ind.) suffered the loss after giving up five hits and four earned runs in the bottom of the eight inning, including a two-run home run.

The Saints will return to action back in South Bend on Friday, March 15^th as they take on Trinity Christian College in a nine inning contest at the Cove to open up Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) action. Despite being played at Coveleski, Friday's game will be considered a road game for the Saints since Trinity Christian's home field was deemed unplayable. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. EST. The series against the Troll's will continue on Saturday afternoon with a double header beginning at 2:00 p.m. EST.