Box Score Mount St. Joseph was fresh off of sweeping Manchester in their doubleheader on Friday afternoon in the first two games of the series. They would go into Saturday one game away from sweeping the season series against the Spartans and one game away from starting the season 3-0 in HCAC play.
The Lions would send senior starting pitcher Paul Spaulding (Cincinnati, OH / LaSalle) to the hill attempting to earn the sweep. Spaulding wouldn't have his best stuff on Saturday. Even so, he would work 5.2 innings, surrendering 6 runs although only 4 of those were earned.
The Lions would work from behind all day after the Spartans would put up three runs in the first inning. Mount St. Joseph would climb back into the game in the fifth inning, when Kyree Hawkins (Smyrna, GA / South Cobb) launched a two-run home run to right-center field, pulling the Lions to within one.
However, Manchester would come back with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning and then one more run in the sixth. The Lions would have a big seventh inning, scoring three runs on a huge three-run home run by Nathan Hunter (Vevay, IN / Switzerland County), pulling to within one run yet again. Unfortunately, this would be the last run scored by either team and the Lions would fall to the Spartans, 6-5.
LIONS AT THE PEAK
Kyree Hawkins and Nathan Hunter were the forces behind the Lion attack on Saturday. Hawkins would go 2-5 in the game with two RBIs and a run scored. He also hit his first collegiate home run on Saturday. Hunter also collected two hits on Saturday. He tallied the other three RBIs for the Lions on a home run of his own and also scored a run.
UP NEXT
The Lions will travel to Lexington, Kentucky on Tuesday afternoon for a game against Transylvania. Mount St. Joseph will be looking to improve to 3-1 in conference play on the season. First pitch at Transylvania will come at 4:15 PM.
