HATTIESBURG, Miss. – MBU Baseball defeated Bethel (Ind.) 9-3 in an afternoon tilt on Friday before falling to William Carey 3-2 in the nightcap. The Spartans wrap up the road trip with another meeting against Bethel on Saturday at 11 am.
GAME ONE vs. Bethel University
The MBU offense started fast in the first game of the day with a run in the opening inning and four more in the second. After an error and a single,
Cesar Soto drove in the first run of his career with a base hit.
Tommy Patrick Jr. then launched a three-run blast over the right centerfield wall to give the Spartans a 5-0 advantage.
Bethel came back with a solo home run in the third but that was all the Pilots could muster against MBU starter
Billy Heil. The lefty gave up just three hits and one walk while striking out five.
The offense regained the five-run lead in the fourth, added two more in the fifth, and finally one in the sixth.
Austin Szverra and
Hunter Nelson made their respective Mobap pitching debuts in the sixth and seventh and successfully finished what Heil started.
GAME TWO vs. William Carey
The Spartans were well on their way to a two-win day, leading in the late innings of the nightcap. Looking for redemption after a 13-6 loss to the Crusaders on Thursday, they got off to good start on Friday. An RBI double by
Alex Adams in the top of the first scored
Tommy Patrick Jr.
Few teams in the NAIA have the starting pitching depth of the Spartans and that was on full display on Friday night.
Matthew Hess, last year's AMC Newcomer Pitcher of the Year, put together a gem of an outing. Hess allowed only three hits and struck out 11. After 94 pitches and 2-0 lead in tow, the 6'7" righthanders tank was running on empty and his night was done after six innings.
Unfortunately for Hess, the bullpen and defense could not preserve the result. Reliever
Tanner Young walked the leadoff man before retiring the next two hitters. Young was one pitch away from ending it, but William Carey refused to die.
After a hit by pitch, the Crusaders' RJ Stinson hit a slow chopper to the hole at first and second base.
Cesar Soto's throw to the Young covering first was not in time and, in fact, went over the pitcher's head. A run scored on the play to cut it to 2-1.
The next hitter singled to tie the game followed by another hit by pitch to load the bases. WCU's Chris Williams drew a five-pitch walk to bring home the winning-run.
