SUMTER, S.C.— The Montreat baseball team traveled to South Carolina for a non-conference doubleheader against the Morris College Hornets Wednesday afternoon. With 8-2 and 8-4 victories, the Cavaliers improved to 22-20 on the season.
In game one, the visitors got on the board first, utilizing a sacrifice fly by
Chase Bruno that scored
Norman Kelly in the top of the initial frame.
The home team responded as the Hornets plated two on a throwing error by Montreat in the fifth. Though the Cavaliers trailed momentarily, the squad answered with seven consecutive runs to end the seven-inning game.
With the bases loaded in the top of the sixth,
Jeff Cardazzone delivered a two-run single through the right side to give the Cavs a 3-2 edge. Kelly followed up with a triple to center, scoring another two to bring the matchup to 5-2 through six.
In the final frame, the Cavaliers drove in three insurance runs on four hits and an error to salt the contest away.
OJ Borroto singled in
Daniel Wetmore before
Ben Brown drew a bases-loaded walk, and
Noah Medina plated
Elijah Baptist on a throwing error to make it 8-2. Cardazzone ended game one as the only Cavalier batter with multiple hits as the catcher went 2-for-4 at the plate.
Harold Aguilera surrendered two runs on four hits through his five innings of work.
Rawley Stinson pitched a one-hit inning in relief while striking out two, and
Caden Wright closed the competition with a hitless frame to secure the six-run victory.
The Cavaliers then continued to score in the second matchup, using eight runs over four frames to go up big. Bruno drove in Kelly and came around to score on a double-steal attempt in the first. Cardazzone then singled in
Rafael Padilla, and Wetmore brought around both Bruno and
Will Cheek to put Montreat ahead 5-0 through two innings.
Padilla scored Wright with an RBI double to grow the advantage to six in the third before
Tarik Latchmansingh capped off the visiting team's scoring with a two-RBI hit in the fourth.
Though Morris plated four runs in the final two innings, the Cavaliers held on to double up the Hornets by a score of 8-4. Ten different Cavs registered a hit on the day, led by
Michael Bell (2-3) and Wright (2-4).
Brandon Russell, who got the start on the mound, pitched four nearly-flawless innings for the Cavs, keeping the home team to one hit and one walk during his outing. Russell also ended with a trio of strikeouts.
Hayden Franklin then went perfect in the fifth before
Hunter Smith got the final out in relief to close out the twin bill.
Baseball returns to Appalachian Athletic Conference play with a series against St. Andrews on Saturday. First pitch of senior day is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Newell Field.
