Box Score
Host Manchester University got a leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning on Friday night, as they recorded a 5-4 win over the Mount in the opener of a three-game HCAC series. The two teams are scheduled next to hook up for a doubleheader on April 18. The Mount slips to 10-16 overall, 5-11 in the conference, while Manchester is now 15-11, 8-8.
The Lions held a 2-0 lead after their at-bat in the fifth inning, while Manchester cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth. The Spartans would take the lead 3-2 in the seventh inning but Nick Boardman (Cincinnati, OH/La Salle) knotted the game at 3-all in the eighth, when he blasted his second home run of the season. Manchester would take the lead back, 4-3, when they plated a run in the bottom of the eighth inning only to see the Lions tie the score at 4-all in the ninth inning when Drew Werner (Sunman, IN/East Central) doubled in Ryan McCauley (Canal Winchester, OH/Madison Christian), who had walked to lead off the inning. Werner would be stranded at second base, however, leading to the bottom of the inning, when Manchester connected for a leadoff home run to win the opener of the series.
Nathan Lambert (Lawrenceburg, IN/Lawrenceburg) started and pitched a complete game for the Mount, allowing eight hits and three earned runs. His record went to 2-1 on the season. The Mount pounded out 12 hits, with Kyle Kittle (Lawrenceburg, IN/Lawrenceburg) leading the way with three hits. Ronald Cotton (Florence, KY/Boone County) and Corey Reimer (Hamilton, OH/Hamilton Badin) each added two hits. The Lions left nine runners on base, while Manchester stranded six runners. Both teams went two-for-nine with runners in scoring position.
