MILLINGTON, Tennessee - The Mount St. Joseph baseball team finished up its four game series with Asbury on Saturday with a double-header sweep. The Lions ended up 3-1 on the weekend, winning the final three games after dropping the first.
GAME ONE | MSJ 11 - Asbury 6 | WP: E. Webb (1-0), LP: E. Cartwright (1-1)
Coach
Jeff Newman sent transfer sophomore
Kaiden Morris to the mound to start the game and make his MSJ debut. Morris got off to a slow start allowing a pair of runs in the top of the first inning.
The Lions would answer back quickly in the bottom of the inning, pushing across four runs.
Anton Mere led off the game with a single, then promptly stole second base.
Jake Lawson and
Ryan Murray followed with base on balls to load the bases. Nick Shields then delivered a 2 run single into left. An out later
Patrick Murray reached on an error after a sacrifice bunt, which scored
Ryan Murray. The final run of the inning was scored as
Carter Owen singled through the left sides scoring Shields from second base.
They would add four more in the bottom of the second inning, Mere doubled to right center to start the inning. Lawson again walked then R. Murray singled through the right side to drive in the first run. Shields then lifted a sacrifice fly into left field.
Max Kline singled, and an out later again it was Owen providing the run support. The senior laced a single into center driving in a pair.
The Eagles would answer with three runs in the top of the third to pull within two. The Lions though answered again in the bottom of the inning. With two outs in the inning Lawson bunted for a hit getting on base for
Ryan Murray who has been on an absolute tear to begin the year. Murray drilled a two-out, two-run home run to straight away right field, his second homerun on the young season.
In the fourth inning Morris gave way to
Evan Webb on the mound, and the sophormore was fantastic in his first appearance of the year. Throwing the final 4.0 innings not surrendering a single hit or walk, while striking out three. Webb was awarded the win out of the bullpen for the Mount.
Offensively the Mount had 11 total hits, seven different players had a hit. Mere (3), R. Murray (2) and Owen (2) all delivered multiple hits.
GAME TWO | MSJ 5 - Asbury 1 | WP: E. Mason (1-0), LP: B. Beardon (1-1), Sv:
Derek Richter (1)
In the final game of the weekend, freshman
Ethan Mason took the ball to the mound to make his pitching debut for the Lions. He was magnificent in his first career start, throwing 6.0 innigs of four hit, 1 run (0 earned), 1 walk, 4 strikeout baseball.
Once again Asbury opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, but once again the Lions answered immediately. Mere led off with a walk, Lawson singled up the middle and R. Murray once again provided the big swing. The graduate student homered for the third time in the series, again pulling it down the right field line.
That would be all the run support Mason would need, as he kept the Eagles off balance all day long.
The Lions would add single runs in the fifth and seventh inning. Mason turned the ball over to
Derek Richter to open the seventh inning. The sophomore would throw the final three innings, allowing five hits but zero walks or runs while striking out three. The three inning performance earned him the first save of his career. Mason earned the win on the mound.
The team managed seven hits in the game, with a pair of hitters having two hit games. R. Murray and
Kevin Schaaf each had a pair of hits.
UP NEXT:
Next weekend the Lions will host a big weekend of baseball. They will play a double-header vs. Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday at Xavier University. Then on Sunday they will host a trio of games at the home of the Florence Yall's. Game one will be MSJ vs. Ohio Wesleyan, game two will be Wilmington vs. Ohio Wesleyan and the final game of the day will be MSJ vs. Wilmington.
