MARION, N.C.— On a rainy Friday evening, the Montreat baseball team played the second game of its 4-game set with the Fisher College Falcons at Big League Camp. Battling both the weather and the opposition, the Cavaliers overcame both, taking a 13-6 contest to improve to 22-18 on the season.
 
Home runs powered the offense early in the contest for both teams. After a scoreless first frame, the squads combined to score in the ensuing four half-innings with all six runs coming via the longball.
 
Fisher (19-15) held a 2-0 lead thanks to a 2-run shot in the second before Isaac Castro blasted a ball over the left field fence to cut the home side's deficit in half. In the third, the Falcons responded with a solo shot of their own, but Caleb Abshier knotted the game once more with the fourth homer of the contest. Following a 2-out double by Jaider Morelos, Abshier launched a pitch to right field that tied the matchup at three through three innings.
 
Eight different Cavaliers recorded a single hit through five frames as Montreat made its living with 2-out hitting (7-11) over the span. Meanwhile, FC struggled in the same situation, failing to register a hit with two gone through six innings, resulting in eight baserunners left on with a trio of trips to the plate remaining.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, the Cavs grabbed their first lead of the competition thanks to a trio of runs. Five walks, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Morelos produced the offense in the frame as the Cavaliers notched three runs on just one hit- Kelly's second of the game- to go up 6-3.
 
Despite doubling up the Falcons through six, the visitors answered to level the score with three runs on five hits in the seventh. Undeterred, Montreat utilized a double by Kelly and an RBI single through the right side off the bat of Necumba Booker Jr. to tilt the score in the Cavs' favor.
 
Six free bases and a pair of Fisher throwing errors awarded the Cavaliers all the insurance runs they would need in the eighth as the home team scored six runs without a hit to build their advantage to 13-6 with three outs remaining in the matchup.
 
Joe Tomasello came in and closed the door on the Falcons by pitching a scoreless inning in the 7-run victory. Harold Aguilera and Caden Wright also notched unblemished frames in relief, while Lane Sexton improved to 2-0 by striking out two batters in a jam before the Cavs gained their edge for good.
 
Offensively, Kelly captained the team due to his 3-for-4 showing at the dish in addition to his three runs scored, and Booker Jr. plated a pair of baserunners with two hits in three at-bats. Ten different Cavaliers scored runs as 2-out hitting and patience at the plate propelled the hosts to their second triumph in as many days.
 
Baseball now plays Fisher in a doubleheader tomorrow beginning at 12:00 p.m. Location has yet to be determined- be sure to check www.montreatcavaliers.com for schedule updates.