MOBILE, Ala.— The Montreat baseball team finished off its 4-game set with the University of Mobile Rams in Alabama on Saturday with a non-conference doubleheader. With 3-0 and 13-2 defeats, the Cavaliers slid to 0-4 in their 2023 campaign.
In game one,
Caleb Abshier doubled to leadoff the contest, but was stranded as the ensuing Cavaliers failed to reach base. Mobile (5-0) then took advantage of an error and walk in the bottom half of the frame, plating the first run of the competition to lead 1-0 through one.
In each of the next three innings, the Cavs got runners on the basepaths, but again failed to produce with players on, leaving a combined four on base over the stretch.
Daniel Willie, who got the start on the mound for the Cavaliers, fanned four batters and sent the home side down in order in the second and third to keep the Rams at bay for the moment.
A double and home run extended the Mobile edge to 3-0 in the fourth, producing all of the runs in game one. The Rams threatened again in the fifth; however, a pair of strikeouts by Willie stunted the attack. Willie finished the day with 6.0 innings pitched, five hits allowed and two earned runs given up while striking out nine Mobile batters.
With two outs in the sixth, the Cavs had an opportunity to come back as
Stephen Karis,
Michael Bell and
Necumba Booker Jr. loaded the bases; however, the threat was extinguished, and the visitors fell by three. Montreat outhit Mobile 7-5, but a pair of Cavalier errors and timely hitting by the Rams sealed the contest. Abshier concluded game one as the lone Cav with multiple hits.
Game two featured more offense from both sides, and the Rams struck first. Mobile plated five runs in the second and added a run in each of the fourth and fifth innings to go up 7-0 through five. Montreat responded with a run of its own thanks to an RBI single by
Daniel Wetmore in the sixth; however, the home side answered with another six in the bottom of the frame to lead 13-1.
Jaider Morelos picked up an RBI single in the seventh, but it wasn't enough to jumpstart the Cavalier offense as the Rams notched a 13-2 victory to remain unbeaten in 2023. Though Mobile registered 14 hits to Montreat's nine, Karis ended game two with a 2-for-3 showing at the plate.
"It was a tough weekend, but we felt we had the opportunity to learn and get some new guys some good experience against a good team," mentioned head coach
Jason Beck. "We feel like everything from this week will continue to be built upon as we look forward to a top program next week."
Baseball now travels to Warner University next Friday and Saturday for a 4-game series. Doubleheader action on Friday is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.
