TOCCOA FALLS, Ga.— The Montreat baseball team opened its 2022 season at Toccoa Falls College (Ga.) this weekend, winning the first two games on Friday and closing out the three-game series on Saturday afternoon with an 11-4 victory. Saturday's victory improved the Cavaliers' record to 3-0.
 
Tarik Latchmansingh drove in the initial run of the contest in the first inning, scoring Noah Medina on a single to left field. The hosts answered, however, in the bottom half of the inning. An RBI single to right field and a bases-loaded walk put Toccoa Falls College (0-3) on top, while a third run scored on a groundball double play. After one inning, the Cavs trailed for the first time this season, 3-1.
 
Ryan Pereda, a graduate student, got a run back for Montreat in the top half of the second inning, driving in Daniel Wetmore on the Cavs' second RBI single to left field.
 
After allowing three runs in the first inning, Harold Aguilera settled in, allowing just three total baserunners over the next three innings. That gave the Cavaliers plenty of time to find a breakthrough and put up a crooked number. Rafael Padilla delivered that big swing in the top of the fourth inning, driving a ball into left center for a go-ahead two-RBI double.
 
Zach Gilbertsen, a Bartow, Fla. native, entered in the bottom of the fifth and continued to shut the Screaming Eagles down, pitching back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to start his day. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers offense started to hit its stride. Latchmansingh, Luis Ramos and Wetmore delivered three consecutive run-producing hits to left field in the sixth inning, adding some insurance to expand the Montreat advantage to 8-3.
 
The Cavaliers tacked on three more runs in the eighth inning. Two runs scored on an error by the Toccoa Falls left fielder, and OJ Borroto drove in another run with a pinch-hit double to left center. The Screaming Eagles got one of those runs back on an RBI double in the eighth, but that proved to be the lone blemish for Gilbertsen over his four innings pitched.
 
Rawley Stinson came on and pitched a perfect ninth inning to close out the Montreat victory, 11-4.
 
Nine different Cavaliers recorded a hit in the win, and five registered multi-hit performances. Latchmansingh went 4-for-6 on the day, registering three RBIs and a run scored. Padilla batted 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs and two walks. Jeff Cardazzone was never retired in his three plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with a walk.
 
Aguilera gave up three runs over four innings pitched in his first start of the season. Gilbertsen pitched four innings in relief, allowing just one run on three hits while tallying four strikeouts.
 
Montreat baseball returns to the diamond on Friday for the start of a four-game set at Mid-Atlantic Christian University in Elizabeth City, N.C. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.