By Herald staff (Contact) | Austin Daily Herald

Originally published 08:52 p.m., March 19, 2009
Updated 08:52 p.m., March 19, 2009

The Riverland baseball team had to settle for a split in Florida on Thursday, as they fell to Cumberland of New Jersey 5-3 and beat the University of Western Ontario 9-2 in Cocoa, Florida.

Cumberland scored once in the fifth and once in the sixth to put away RCC (9-2 overall) in the first game.

“This was a team we felt we should’ve beaten,” Riverland head coach Scott Koenigs said. “We came out a little flat.”

The Blue Devils struck out just once, but were held to eight hits.

“Everything we hit was right at somebody and they played good defense,” Koenigs said.

In the 9-2 win over Western Ontario, Mitch Jaeger got his second win of the season when he struck out three while allowing just two earned runs.

“It was nice to see us bounce back with a win over a team that’s been doing great down here,” Koenigs said. “Mitch threw a great game and was throwing a first pitch strike 90 percent of the time.”

RCC sophomore Andy Behnke, who is from Marshall, broke a school record with his fifth triple of the season in the win.

“Behnke’s just been hammering the ball all week,” Koenigs said.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Cumberland 0 1 2 0 1 1 0 5 9 1

RCC 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 3 8 2

RCC pitching: Brady Banse (L), 6 IP, 9 H, 4 BB, 5 R, 4 ER, 8 K, HBP; Kyle Maloney, 1 IP

RCC hitting: Kyle Starkey, 2-for-4, R; Brian Voigt, 2-for-4, double, RBI; Shane Lange, 1-for-2, 2 BB, RBI; Andy Behnke, 1-for-4, R; Derek Hahn, 1-for-4, R; Chris Lindemann, 1-for-4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

UWO 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 5 1

RCC 0 1 3 2 1 2 x 9 12 2

RCC pitching: Mitch Jaeger (W), 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 K

RCC hitting: Zach Vliestra, 3-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs, 3 R; Chris Lindemann, 2-for-3, 2 R, SB, BB; Kyle Starkey, 1-for-2; Brian Voigt, 1-for-3, 2 SB, 2 R; Jeff Huth, 1-for-3, RBI