AUBURNDALE, Florida - The Mount St. Joseph baseball team wrapped up their 2024 trip to the RussMatt Baseball Tournament in Florida, with a hard-fought 5-4 win over Elmhurst on Saturday.
Aidan Post went to the mound for the Lions, and the fifth-year senior was outstanding for coach Newman. In his third start of the season, Post went the front 5.0 innings allowing only four hits and a single run while striking out three.
The Mount got the scoring underway in the bottom of the first inning.
Anton Mere led off with a single to center,
Andrew Harrison followed with a one-out walk and
Tyler Herbers delivered a two-out RBI single through the left side to give them the early lead.
They would add a run in the bottom of the third, as
Jake Lawson led off with an excuse me swing base-hit. He would advance to second on a groundout by Harrison, and then to third on some heads-up baserunning. Lawson took advantage of Elmhurst not paying attention to him to steal third base and then would score on a wild-pitch.
Elmhurst would add one in the fifth to pull within one run. In the sixth Post gave way to
Kaiden Morris on the mound. He promptly hit the first batter he faced, then allowed a single into left. With one out he allowed the game-tying RBI single, but bounced back to hold the score there inducing a 6-4-3 double-play to end the inning.
The Mount answered back immediately with three in the bottom of the inning to take the lead back.
Jordan Harley reached via an error with one-out, and
Matt Brankamp followed that up with an RBI triple to deep centerfield. Brankamp would eventually score on the play as the throw in eluded the third baseman. They would then load the bases as
Ethan Mason and Mere had back-to-back one-out singles. An out later Harrison was hit-by-pitch and
Brennan Martin worked a bases-loaded walk to drive in the third run of the inning.
Ryan Caulfield entered in the seventh inning and pitched a nearly flawless frame, allowing only a walk with a pair of strikeouts. He would give way to
Evan Webb in the eight who was trying to secure the six-out save. Webb allowed a pair of runs in the eighth, and then allowed the leadoff hitter in the ninth to reach. He then slammed the door with three straight outs to secure his first save of the season.
UP NEXT:
The Lions will open HCAC play next weekend with back-to-back double-headers, on Saturday they will head to Rose-Hulman for a pair and on Sunday they will welcome Bluffton to Cincinnati for a twin-bill.
