Late rally propels Mustangs to series win over Hope

Now this is the type of precedent The Master's University baseball team wants to set.
 
Instead of doubleheader splits, the Mustangs would prefer sweeps.
 
And, that's what they got on Saturday when they rallied with a four-run sixth inning to beat Hope International 6-3 in game two after winning the opener, 7-2.

TMU's Anthony Lepre hit his 13th and 14th home runs of the season in game one. 
 
"It was an extraordinary performance today," said head coach Monte Brooks.  "It came against a good team with talent and strong coaching."

With the win, Master's took three of four games in the series and knocked an opponent out of first place in GSAC standings for the second consecutive week after taking three games from Vanguard last week. 
 
The Mustangs, who trail first-place Westmont by two games, are 15-9-1 overall and 8-6 in the conference.
 

Senior catcher Anthony Lepre on what he saw at the plate in game one Saturday when he went 3-for-4 with two home runs and 5 RBIs.

He's tied with teammate Aaron Shackelford for NAIA lead w/ 14 HRs. pic.twitter.com/DyahqOOSCJ

— TMU Athletics (@TMUAthletics) March 18, 2019

 
The club was on the cusp of another split, trailing the Royals 3-2 going to the last half of the sixth in the nightcap when it rallied for four runs in a dramatic turnaround.
 
They received help from the Royals, who committed three errors in the frame, leading to all four runs being unearned.
 
Pinch-runner Brayden Luft scored the tying run on a throwing error, Aaron Shackelford snapped the tie with a two-run single, and Roy Verdejo's fielder's choice plated the final run.
 
Starter Kyle Adkins finished off the win, retiring the Royals in order in the top of the seventh.  In his seven-inning complete game, Adkins struck out a season-high eight and limited the Royals to six hits while improving to 5-1.
 
Earlier, Adkins surrendered single runs in each of the Royals' first two at-bats.
 
The Mustangs drew within 2-1 in the last of the second on a Will Batz infield single, and when the Royals scored in the top of the fourth inning to take a two-run advantage, TMU countered with a Byron Smith solo homer.
 
It was the sophomore transfer's second home run of the season.
 
The Royals maintained that 3-2 lead until the Mustangs rallied in the sixth. 
 
No comeback was required in the opener as the Mustangs scored early and led wire-to-wire.
 
In their initial at-bat, the Mustangs turned to the Shackelford-Lepre duo to produce the game's first runs.
 
With one out, Shackelford singled and then trotted home on Lepre's 13th home run of the season, a shot over the center-field fence.
 
That 2-0 margin held up until the fourth inning when the Royals halved the deficit, using a Mustang error to pull within one run.
 
That unearned run came off starter Eric Williams, who went the first 4 1/3 innings.
 
An inning later, Lepre countered with one swing of the bat.  After Shackelford reached on a fielder's choice, the Lepre belted his second homer of the game, this one going over the left field fence to extend the lead to 4-1.
 
Hope International halved the deficit again in the seventh on a run-scoring single, but Lepre responded again in the last half of the frame, singling in Will Batz, who had reached on a Royal error.
 
Lepre went 3-for-4 with a season-high five RBIs.
 
In the eighth inning, the Mustangs created even more separation, adding two runs on singles by Ryan Bricker and Smith.
 
Every starter had at least one hit, contributing to the 12-hit attack.
 
Aidan Stout (2-1) earned the victory, hurling the final 4 2/3 innings, during which he allowed just three hits and struck out six.
 
Following an eight-game homestand, the Mustangs go on the road the next two weekends.
 
They play double-headers at San Diego Christian next Friday and Saturday.