MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – Grace College's baseball team picked up a split with Mt. Vernon on Friday afternoon.
The Lancers dropped the opener 21-6 before bouncing back for a close 8-7 victory.
In the opener, the Lancers had no trouble scoring at the onset. Grace scored a run in each of the first two innings.
Matt Friesema homered in the top of the first inning with two outs. Dustin Garl hit a two-out RBI single in the second inning to bring in
Mason Wire.
But the Cougars also scored early in the game. MVNU tallied four runs in the first inning and replicated that effort in the second to take a commanding lead.
Grant Rojek put a charge into the Lancers, blasting a three-run home run in the fifth inning. But the Cougars' offense proved to be too much in the opener.
MVNU erupted with six runs in the fifth to pull ahead for good, and the Cougars ended the game in the seventh with the run-rule.
Gabriel Maldonado hit 2 for 2 with a double, a walk and an RBI, and Gustin was 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI.
In game two the Lancers offense exploded early, nearly matching their game one output in the first inning.
Grant Rojek had a leadoff single and following a fielder's choice Friesema reached with a hit to the outfield giving the lancers runners on first and second with two outs.
Cayden Calloway broke the ice with an RBI double and
Jose Ayala then belted a three-run home run to push Grace ahead 4-0.
The Lancers' lead would be short lived however as MVNU fired back with four runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. In similar fashion to Grace, all of the Cougars' runs were scored with two outs.
Undaunted and not to be outdone the Lancers recaptured their lead in the second frame. Leading off the second inning Maldonado earned a walk after being down 0-2 in the count. He was pinch run for by
Carter Stogsdill and the change paid off as Stogsdill swiped second and third base.
Ian Wilson hit Grace's second home run of the game to put Grace ahead 6-4 and RBIs from Ayala and
Mayo Fernandez scored Friesema and
Mason Wire to reestablish a four-run advantage.
Grace's pitchers were impressive over the middle innings, holding MVNU hitless in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The Lancers only surrender three hits total.
The Cougars were able to cross one run in the fourth inning after earning a walk and taking advantage of the speed on the base paths.
In the seventh inning and final inning Grace still led 8-5 but the Cougars were about to make one last push. A pair of walks and the Cougars first hit since the opening inning had the bases loaded with one out.
MVNU scored two runs and the tying run headed for home but a quick throw from the shortstop to home gunned down the runner. The Lancers then recorded the final out of the game to secure the dramatic 8-7 victory.
Wilson and Ayala each had two hits and Ayala also had four RBIs.
Noah Dininger picked up the save and
Tyler Sarver pitched 3.1 hitless innings.
The Lancers will end the four-game series at MVNU on Saturday, beginning at noon.
