Unexpected could have been the word for what happened to The Master's University on a picture-perfect day for baseball at Lou Herwaldt Stadium.
Then again, last-place San Diego Christian has enjoyed considerable success against the Mustangs in 2018.
Wednesday's 8-2 win over TMU gave the Hawks three wins in four games against their northern GSAC rival with two games left in their season series.
The Mustangs are now 20-15 overall and 12-12 in conference play.
Although they rapped out seven hits against Hawk starter Leo Soto (1-1), the Mustangs really couldn't solve the lefty.
They posted a run in the last of the second when
Pearson Good doubled in
Josh Robison and added an unearned run an inning later when
Aaron Shackelford singled in
Ryan Bricker.
After that, though, they didn't score again despite leaving the bases loaded in the fifth and seventh innings, respectively.
Following Soto, a trio of Hawk relievers kept the Mustangs off the board.
Mustang starter
Robert Winslow (4-3) didn't fare so well.
The staff ace allowed six runs, five of those earned, in a 4 2/3-inning stint.
San Diego Christian snapped a two-all tie in the top of the fifth with a run and then created some separation with a three-run sixth.
The Hawks added two more runs in the top of the seventh for good measure.
The Mustangs laced out nine hits with
Max Maitland,
Ryan Bricker, and Good contributing two apiece.
TMU will put this one behind it quickly as the two clubs face each other in a doubleheader that begins at noon on Thursday.
