Faribault boys baseball loses close one to Rochester Century Senior night

It was a very sunny day on Senior Night, as the Faribault combined schools (including Shattuck and Bethlehem Academy) battled it out with Rochester Century in a Big 9 pitchers’ duel.

Junior Ben Cunniff’s excellence on the mound kept the Falcons in the game in all seven innings of play. After Century put up two runs in the first inning, Cunniff was light’s out shutting out the Century battery, giving up only three hits in the last five innings he pitched.

Century, though, still squeaked out the win at 2-1.

With both teams pitching and defending well, Century was just a little bit stronger at the plate. It got on the board in the top of the first after a walk and a triple by Owen Kelly. A fielder’s choice scored Kelly, and Century had all the runs they needed, as it turned out, in the first inning.

Grant Koch singled in the second inning and reached scoring position but was stranded at second base, keeping the Falcons off the scoreboard until the sixth inning when they would make it a game by scoring a run.

Faribault made it interesting by manufacturing a run without registering a hit. Cunniff walked, Dillon reached base on a dropped third strike call and wild pitch. Cunniff then reached third base, and Owen Hanson got the lone RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Cunniff.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Falcons went down in order, losing a heartbreaking one-run game again for the second time in a row.

Fortunately, the Falcons have only a day to think about the close loss, as they are set to play at home again at noon Saturday against Albert Lea at Bell Field.