Mustangs drop GSAC opener to Vanguard

The Master's baseball team erased a nine-run deficit, but a late-inning run proved the difference in the 10-9 conference-opening loss to Vanguard Friday afternoon in Costa Mesa, Calif.
 
The Mustangs (6-2, 0-1) scored two in the sixth and seven in the seventh to tie the game at 9-9. Then in the top of the ninth, after giving up an RBI-single in the bottom of the eighth to go down a run, Mile Henderson led off with a single to left. But a strikeout, flyout and a groundout left him stranded on base to absorb the loss.

But TMU pitching issued 12 walks, and that led to the big innings fore the Lions.

"Bottom line we beat ourselves," said TMU Head Coach Monte Brooks. "Twelve walks. It's an anomaly. We've been a strike-throwing team, so that really put us in a difficult and challenging position. And three errors. So again, we beat ourselves. You can't give a good team like (Vanguard) that many opportunities."

Things went from bad to worse in a hurry for TMU as the Lions scored two in the first and four in the second to go up 6-0. They added another run in the fourth and two more in the fifth and looked to be cruising to an easy win.
 
But in the top of the sixth, Ryan Mathiesen hit his fourth home run of the year with Austin Young on board to get The Master's a pair of runs.
 
Then in the seventh, Young knocked in Cason Brownell and Kobe Katayama with a bases-loaded single to left to cut the difference to 7-4. Mathiesen then reached on an error, allowing Tommy Gwinn to score. Henderson then delivered a two-run single to left to score Young and Mathiesen and suddenly this game was tied 9-9.
 
Young finished the day 2 for 3 with a pair of walks, two RBI and two runs scored. Brownell went 2 for 4 with a run scored, and Henderson finished 2 for 5 with two RBI and a run scored.
 
Robby Schardt got the start for the Mustangs and went 1.2 innings, giving up six runs (four earned) on two hits but walked five Vanguard batters. Ryan Shalkevich followed for 0.1, Adler Stout went 1.1, Nolan Inouye 2.2, and finally Carson Knapp took the loss pitching the final 2.0 innings, giving up the winning run on two hits while striking out four.

"Offensively it was an outstanding game," Brooks said. "But early on we (our pitchers) put too many baserunners on and it put us in a challenging position. I'm really pleased with Nolan and Carson, because they threw strikes and attacked the hitters. They gave us a chance late in the game."
 
These two teams will continue their series back in Santa Clarita at Lou Herwaldt Stadium Saturday due to the recent weather causing problems with Vanguard's Dean Harvey Field. The first game of the doubleheader will begin at 11 a.m., with the second game to follow 30 minutes after the end of the first.