WINTER HAVEN, Florida - The Mount St. Joseph baseball team took on the Saint Joseph's College of Maine Monks on Friday in a double-header from Chain O' Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Florida on Friday. The Lions took game one of the day behind a complete game from
Nolan Miller and the Monks answered with their starter throwing a complete game shutout in game two to secure the split.
GAME ONE | MSJ 13- MONKS 5 (WP:
Nolan Miller)
In game one of the double-header the Lions sent junior right hander
Nolan Miller to the mound to start the game, and he would stay out there for the duration. Miller threw a seven inning complete game, allowing eight hits and five runs while striking out four to earn his first win of the season.
The Lions offense once again was really good in this one, as a team they banged out 16 hits, scoring 13 runs and for the second game in a row each player in the lineup recorded at least one hit!
After each pitcher threw a perfect first inning the Lions got to work in the second.
Brennan Martin led off with a double to the fence in left center,
Will Record followed with an infield single to put runners on the corners with no out.
Zac Clow followed with an RBI single into centerfield. A
Devin Perry sacrifice bunt advanced Record and Clow, and
Jackson Gutzwiller followed with a two run single into left field.
The Mount added another run in the third,
Ethan Mason was hit-by-pitch to start the inning, and moved to second on a wild pitch. Mason made a great baserunning move as Martin struck out he advanced to third on the catchers throw to first to retire Martin on the dropped third strike. He then scored on an RBI groundout from Record.
Saint Joseph finally got on the board with two in the bottom of the third inning, and the Lions followed with a 1-2-3 top of the fourth. The Lions added another in the top of the fifth, Mason hit the first of his two triples in the game to right center with one out. Martin was intentionally walked and Record drilled an RBI single into center.
In the top of the sixth the Mount exploded for five runs to put the game away,
Jackson Gutzwiller drilled a one out solo homer to right to get the scoring started.
AJ Meyer followed with a single and a stole second advancing on to third via an error.
Austin Buckle delivered an RBI infield single and Harley followed with a single of his own. Mason then stepped in and delivered his second triple of the ball game this one driving in a pair of runs.
The Lions would add three in the top of the seventh inning to put the game away for good!
GAME TWO | MONKS 6 - MSJ 0 (LP:
Jackson Bucks)
In game two of the double header the Lions sent junior
Jackson Bucks to the mound, and while the line was not his best ever the right-hander threw the ball pretty well save two mistakes. Through 4.2 innings he allowed only four hits and five earned runs while striking out eight Monks. His two mistakes came in the form of a pair of homeruns by the Monks, one a two run shot and the other a three run homer.
Carson Taulbee finished the game throwing the final 2.1 innings allowing only a single unearned run.
The Lions best chance to score came in the top of the first as
Austin Buckle led off with a triple, but was stranded at third base. The left hander from Saint Joseph's kept the Lions off balance all game, throwing all four of his pitches for strikes along with plus velocity. The Mount only mustered a pair of hits in the game and three baserunners.
UP NEXT: The Mount will wrap up their 2026 trip to the RussMatt Invitational with a single game tomorrow vs. the North Park Vikings. That game is scheduled to get underway at 12:15 from the North East Regional Park in Davenport, Florida.
