Ryan Bricker knew a couple things to be true after The Master's University's 8-6 win over Arizona Christian on Friday in the first game of a home double-header.
For one, Bricker swore he'd never hit a home run before in his life. Not in high school. Not in little league.
The Master's catcher was also sure his dad, Eric, was watching online in Arizona and had seen the two-run walk-off homer in the 10th inning that cleared the left field wall and spilled rowdy Mustangs out of the dugout.
Bricker tossed off his helmet as he neared home plate. A teammate splashed him in the face with water — it didn't come close to washing away his smile.
Bricker's first phone call after the game?
"My parents," Bricker said. "It'll be pretty exciting for them to see it."
Mustang coach Monte Brooks moved Bricker, who normally hits in the bottom half of the order, into the leadoff spot for the first time this season Friday because of the sophomore's knack for getting on base.
The Mustangs (15-9 overall, 9-6 in Golden State Athletic Conference) entered having scored five runs total in their previous four games. They'd lost five of six and dropped out of the NAIA Top 25 for the first time this season.
Bricker, meanwhile, held a .446 on-base percentage through 22 games. He'd been hit by 10 pitches.
Friday, he put a hurting on the ball.
Three times with two strikes and men on base, Bricker delivered.
In the second inning — after Aaron Shackelford hit his second home run of the season to spot TMU a 1-0 lead — Bricker singled in two more runs.
In the eighth, Bricker's RBI single tied the score, 6-6.
"I stuck to the same approach," Bricker said. "So I'm sitting fastball, and if he throws me a breaker, I know I'll recognize it."
In the 10th, Bricker broke a fastball and made a winner of Preston White, who finished off a stellar outing by the Mustang bullpen.
White tossed two scoreless. Eric Williams kept ACU off the scoreboard for three innings. Aidan Stout did the same for one.
The effort gave TMU time to break out of its offensive slump and climb out of a 6-4, fifth-inning deficit.
Kameron Quitno kickstarted the rally with an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth. Then Bricker brought in the final three.
Shackelford finished 2-for-5, Quitno was 2-for-2, and Tuttle had two hits on a day the Firestorm brought the heat. The Mustangs struck out 15 times.
Master's pitchers punched out 16.
Arizona Christian did all its damage in the third and fifth innings, scoring three times in each. The third frame featured a sloppy play where two Firestorm runners scored on the combination of a wild pitch and a subsequent throwing error.
Scott Savage pitched four innings for TMU, allowing six runs (three earned). He struck out seven and walked three.
