The Master's scored 16 runs on 15 hits and gave up only one run in two games against the Providence Christian Sea Beggars Saturday at Lou Herwaldt Stadium in Santa Clarita, Calif.
The Mustangs took the first game 7-0 and dominated the second 9-1. TMU is now 9-1 to start the 2023 season.
On the day,
Evan Banks was 4-for-7 with two home runs, a double and eight RBIs.
These games Saturday made it five games in four days for the Mustangs, and they won every game.
"It was a challenging week playing five games, and man, they came through," said TMU Head Coach
Monte Brooks. "Today our enthusiasm was great. I was concerned because of the endurance, but we came in with a lot of enthusiasm. The last two games we got kicked in the mouth in the first inning and had to overcome that. Today we were up and running from the start."
Game 1
Banks collected RBI hits in each of his first three at bats, starting with a single to center in the bottom of the first to score
Austin Young. In the third, Banks came up with
Will Batz on base and blasted the first of his two home runs on the day to make it 3-0. He followed that up in the fifth with an RBI double to left field to score
Owen Payn.
"Evan carried us offensively in that first game," Head Coach
Monte Brooks said. "He was amazing."
Freshman
Carson Knapp got his first collegiate start, pitching 3.0 innings and giving up no runs on three hits and a strike out. He was followed by
Cale Mathison for 3.0 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out six. Ryan Mathisonfinished off the seven-inning game with the final inning, facing the minimum three batters and getting a strikeout.
Game 2
TMU put nine runs on the board through six innings before Providence was able to get a solo home run in the top of the seventh.
This time Banks was joined by
Ryan Mathiesen for the offensive firepower.
In the bottom of the first, Batz doubled to left center and then stole third. Banks' fly ball to right field was enough to sacrifice Batz home for the first run of the game.
Then in the third and the bases loaded, Mathiesen crushed a ball over the right-center field fence for the grand slam to make it 5-0 Mustangs.
After a run was added in the fifth on an RBI single off the bat of
Tyler Grodell, Banks got his second home run of the day in the bottom of the sixth, this time with both Batz and Caden Brownell on base, to make it 9-0 Mustangs.
Ethan Schmidt got the start and went 5.0 innings, giving up no runs on just two hits and a strikeout.
Mason Madalinski logged the final 2.0 innings, giving up a run on three hits and getting a strikeout.
"We got great pitching all day," Brooks said. "We weren't sure who to start the second game, but we went with Ethan and he gave us five innings of just keeping us in the game. With the exception of a couple of beans, he commanded his ball well. And then getting Mason in there for two innings was good for us because the veteran is coming off an arm injury. So we need him to get more and more comfortable."
After playing eight of their first ten games at home, The Master's will now be on the road for the next two weeks. First in Texas for doubleheaders against Texas Wesleyan and Baker (KS), then to Arizona for a three-game set to open conference play against Arizona Christian in Glendale, Ariz.
