By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
BUCHANAN - The Buchanan baseball team improved to 3-1 on the season with a sweep of host Bloomingdale Thursday afternoon.
The Bucks took the opening game of the non-conference doubleheader, 1-0. Buchanan then came back and won the second game 7-5 to drop the Cardinals to 2-5 on the season.
Jeremy Lucas tossed a gem in the first game as he pitched a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and just one walk.
The game's lone run came in the bottom of the sixth.
Buchanan finished with just two hits off of Bloomingdale's Jeff McCarty, who takes the loss.
Kyle Tracey had a double and Ray Payne had the game-winning RBI single.
In the second game, Bloomingdale jumped out to a 5-0 lead with two runs in each of the first two innings and a single run in the third.
Buchanan cut the lead to 5-4 with a four-run bottom half of the fifth inning.
The Bucks took the lead with two more runs in the sixth and added an insurance run in the seventh.
Tracey started for the Bucks but gave way to Lucas, who picks up the victory.
The two combined on a five-hitter.
Neither team played well defensively as the two squads combined for nine errors in the second game.
Buchanan finished with 10 hits off of Bloomingdale pitchers Eric Cole and McCarty.
McCarty takes the loss.
Payne went 2-for-4 for the Bucks, who got two hits and three RBIs from Trevor Earnsburger.
Jim Connors added a double.
Mike Lantham went 3-for-4 for the Cardinals.
Buchanan returns to action on Saturday as it competes in the Bronson Invitational. Play is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
First game
Bloomingdale 000 000 0 - 0 0 0
Buchanan 000 001 x - 1 2 0
Jeff McCarty (L); Jeremy Lucas (W, 2-0) and Justin Helt
2B: Kyle Tracey (B)
Second game
Buchanan 000 042 1 - 7 10 5
Bloomingdale 221 000 0 - 5 5 4
Eric Cole, Jeff McCarty (L); Kyle Tracy, Jeremy Lucas (W, 3-0)
2B: Jim Connors (B)
Varsity records: Bloomingdale 2-5, Buchanan 3-1