The Master's baseball team split a doubleheader Saturday with the Vanguard Lions, giving the Mustangs a much-needed series win.
With three games remaining in the conference season, TMU is just one game behind the Lions for the fifth and final spot in the GSAC Championship Tournament.
Game 1
Vanguard scored nine runs on five hits, four walks and a Mustangs error in the bottom of the first inning, going on to win the game 10-3 in Costa Mesa, Calif..
Seven of the runs were scored before the first out was recorded in the inning.
Ryan Shalkevich came on in relief of
Gage Webster, who took the loss. Shalkevich went 4.0 innings, giving up three runs on six hits and striking out five. He was followed by
Ethan Schmidt for 2.0 shutout innings and
Michael Chung, who also pitched 2.0 innings of shutout, no-hit baseball.
After giving up another run in the bottom of the third to fall behind 10-0, TMU was able to get on the board in the top of the fifth when
Conor Christiansen hit a solo home run to right.
Then in the top of the six,
Ty Beck earned a two-out walk, followed by
Miles Henderson slapping a triple down the right field line to score Beck.
An inning later,
Cason Brownell singled up the middle to score Christiansen to make it 10-3.
Ryan Mathiesen finished with two of the Mustangs' seven hits.
Game 2
In a seven-inning game, The Master's scored two in the top of the seventh to come from behind and defeat the Lions 4-3.
J.T. Friesen got the start on the bump, pitching 5.2 innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits and striking out two.
Ryan Mathiesen pitched the final 1.1 innings to pick up his second win of the series.
The Mustangs got on the scoreboard first when Mathiesen's double to right scored Christiansen who had singled to start the inning.
Then in the sixth,
Kobe Katayama's single to center scored Joe DeFrancisco to extend TMU's lead to 2-0.
But the Lions answered in the bottom half of the inning when a walk, two singles and a double netted three runs for Vanguard to take a 3-2 lead.
That set up the Mustangs' final chance in the top of the seventh. Mathiesen singled up the middle to score
Michael Chung to tie the game at 3-3. The next batter was
Austin Young, who also banged a single up the middle to score Brownell for what would be the game-winner.
Mathiesen then pitched a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to secure the win and keep TMU's post-season hopes alive.
Offensively, Mathiesen, Henderson and Christiansen all finished with two hits.
The Master's will play a non-conference game at home on Tuesday against Saint Katherine. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
