Box Score
The College of Mount St. Joseph started 2012 HCAC baseball action on Saturday against Franklin College, splitting a home doubleheader with the Grizzlies, winning game one, 3-2; and losing the second game, 17-6. The Mount, 7-7 overall, 1-1 in the conference, will complete their three-game weekend series against Franklin with a home game on Mar. 25.
The Lions scored first in game one, plating a run in the third and led 2-0 after the fourth only to see the Grizzlies tie the game at two-all in the sixth inning. The Mount pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the seventh, when after one out, Josh Denny (Huntsville, AL/Flushing) ripped an RBI double to score Taylor Simpson (Monroe, OH/Monroe) with the winning run. Brandon Polking (Cincinnati, OH/St. Xavier) tossed the Lions' first complete game of the season, going seven innings and allowing five hits, two runs (both earned), one walk and recording eight strikeouts. The Mount had 10 hits in the game, as Denny led the way with three hits while teammates Oluseyi Olaore (Cincinnati, OH/Woodward), Jonathan Roberts (Hebron, KY/Conner) and Simpson recorded two hits each. Olaore had two doubles in the game while Justin Shelton (Cincinnati, OH/Anderson) had a solo home run in the fourth inning.
Game two saw the Grizzlies break open a close game in third inning. With the Grizzlies holding a 2-1 lead, Franklin College plated five runs in the third inning to go up, 7-1. The Mount cut the deficit to 7-5 in the fourth, but Franklin rebounded to score four runs in the fifth to go ahead, 11-5. Three Mount pitchers allowed 13 hits in the game, while the Lions made three errors allowing five unearned runs to Franklin College, which improved to 13-3 on the season, 1-1 in the HCAC. Shelton had three hits in the game, while Denny added a triple. Derek Allen (New Alsace, IN/East Central) had two RBI.
