AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- Westfield State's Anthony Crowley went 4-5 at the plate, scored twice, and powered his second home run of the season, but that wasn't enough as the Owls fell to St. Scholastica (Minn.), 12-6, in the final game of the Owls 7-day road trip to the Russ Matt Central Florida baseball invitational.
Westfield is now 4-4 overall on the season and posted a 3-4 mark against strong competition on the Florida swing.
Westfield gave up a run in the top of the first, but battled back with two runs of their own in the bottom half, with Jake Gibb driving in Casey Boudreau, and Brett Dooley singling in Crowley to give Westfield a short-lived lead.
The Saints tacked on two runs in the second, one in the third and three in the top of the fourth to take a 7-3 lead.
Crowley launched a solo shot to left field in the third. The Owls added two in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double from Michael Cruz and a RBI single from Tyler Beach.
In the sixth the Owls had the opportunity for a big inning cut down, as Dooley led with a double and Steven Saucier followed with a base hit to put runners at the corners, but Sean Moorhouse followed with e fly ball to right field that turned into a triple play, as Dooley was cut down at the plate, and Saucier was cut down at second trying to advance as the trail runner.
In the seventh, the Owls loaded the bases with two out, and Dooley smashed a line shot that Saints' shortstop Joey Zwak snagged on the backhand to end the treat.
In the eighth inning, with the Saints clinging to a 7-6 lead, Conor Wollenzie ripped a 2-run double down the right field line that slid just inside the bag at first to give the Saints a 9-6 lead.
Owls' starter Patrick Jordan took the loss, working just 1.1 innings. Scholastica starter Matt Tautges (1-1) worked six innings, allowing nine hits and five runs, but walked none and fanned five in the win. Gibb finished 2-4 with 2 rbi, and Dooley added a pair of hits as well.
Ultimately the Owls' pitching could not shut down the big bats from Duluth, as the Saints got a 2-run home run from Tyman and a three run shot from Eric Pearson.