On a cold and breezy Saturday afternoon, The Master's University baseball team split their doubleheader with OUAZ at Lou Herwaldt Stadium.
The Spirit took the first game 13-9 while the Mustangs (14-6, 2-4 GSAC) took the second 7-2 to give TMU the series win.
Austin Young hit home runs in each game Saturday, giving him four bombs in the three-game series.
"Very productive day," said Head Coach
Monte Brooks. "Austin had an amazing weekend. We also knocked the starting pitchers (for OUAZ) out in each game this weekend, and that is a big goal of ours."
Game 1
After giving up a solo home run in the top of the first, The Master's exploded in the third scoring five runs. Young hit a solo home run to tie it, then
Ryan Mathiesen had an RBI double followed by
Cason Brownell knocking in two.
Nolan Inouye then hit an RBI single to put TMU up 5-1.
In the top of the seventh and the score now 7-4 Mustangs, OUAZ scored three to tie it at 7-7. They added three more in the eighth and another three in the ninth to go up 13-7. The Master's tacked on two in the bottom of the ninth but it was not enough to overcome the lead.
"We just couldn't shut the door in the last three innings," Brooks said. "They caught wind and they stepped on the gas to score three in each of the last three innings."
Young and
Evan Banks were once again the offensive leaders, each getting three hits in the game. Mathiesen had two hits and two RBI, with Brownell getting two RBI as well.
Mason Madalinski gets tabbed for the loss when he came on in relief in the eighth inning.
Carson Knapp got the start, going 4.0 innings and giving up four earned runs on four hits and striking out three.
Nelson Schutte,
Ethan Schmidt and Jojo Penberthy also pitched in the game.
Game 2
The Master's scored five in the first inning to give them the cushion they needed to get the 7-2 win in the seven-inning game.
Young's second homer of the day, a two-run shot to left field, started the scoring. That was followed by RBI singles by
Miles Henderson and
Tyler Grodell, and a ground out by
Cason Brownell that scored Henderson.
OUAZ would score two in the top of the fourth but the Mustangs added another two in the bottom of the sixth to shut the door.
J.T. Friesen started on the bump for TMU and went 6.0 innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits and striking out four.
Ryan Mathiesen came on in the seventh to set the side down in order.
"J.T. had a really good start for us in game two," Brooks said.
Unlike the first game in which The Master's pounded out 15 hits in the loss, TMU had eight hits in the second game in the win. Young again led the way going 2-for-3 in the game with two RBI and two runs scored.
The Mustangs will next travel to Costa Mesa Friday to start a three-game series against Vanguard. First pitch Friday is at 2 p.m.
