MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat baseball team closed out its 2023 regular season Saturday afternoon with an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) doubleheader at Newell Field in Montreat, N.C. With a spot already locked up in the double-elimination bracket of next week's conference tournament, the Cavaliers lost both games against the Union College Bulldogs, 8-6 and 17-2. With the defeats, the Cavs moved to 26-22 overall and 14-14 in AAC action, their most conference wins in a single season since 2009 (16).
Union (26-17-1, 15-12 AAC) wasted no time breaking the ice in game one as the visitors plated the contest's initial run on a 2-out double in the top of the first; however,
Norman Kelly leveled the score at one shortly after thanks to his leadoff solo blast in the bottom of the second.
The Bulldogs then scored in three consecutive frames across the fourth, fifth and sixth, building a 7-1 lead in the process. Four hits in the third inning brought home a pair of Union baserunners, and a solo home run in the fourth grew the visitors' lead to three runs (4-1). Then, in the fifth, another Bulldog homer coupled with two RBI knocks surged Union ahead of the Cavs by six.
Montreat got right back in the ballgame with a 4-run bottom of the sixth.
Caleb Abshier started the hosts off with his 10
th homer of the season, a solo shot to left field.
Daniel Wetmore drove in another run with a groundout just a few batters later, and
Isaac Castro closed out the inning with his 2-run rocket to left center.
After a pair of scoreless innings, Union tacked on an important insurance run in the top of the ninth behind its third solo shot of the day. Kelly brought the Cavaliers a run closer during the following half-inning when he was plunked by a pitch with the bases juiced, but the visitors notched two crucial outs to strand a trio of Montreat baserunners and take game one over hosts, 8-6. The Cavs stranded 10 runners during the contest and batted just 3-for-22 with runners on base.
Kelly (1-1) reached safely five times during the opener thanks to a pair of walks, a pair of hit-by-pitches and a home run.
Zeb Marquis batted a perfect 4-for-4 in the 8-hole as he tallied half of the Cavs' eight hits. On the mound,
Joe Tomasello tossed a shutout seventh frame.
The Bulldogs picked up right where they left off to start game two, utilizing a 3-run blast and a pair of RBI hits to seize a 5-0 lead before the Cavs came to bat.
A series of hit batters gave the hosts a chance to strike back in the bottom of the second, but Montreat ultimately left the bases loaded to end the frame. Meanwhile, Union added two more runs in the top of the third on a 2-run homer to left center.
The Cavaliers trimmed their deficit to 7-1 during the ensuing half-inning as Kelly singled home
Necumba Booker Jr. following his second double in as many at-bats; however, the visitors came right back with 10 runs across the fourth, fifth and sixth frames to expand their lead up to 16 runs (17-1).
Jeff Cardazzone clobbered a solo homer down the left field line to lead off the bottom of the sixth, plating the final run of the contest. Union finished off its doubleheader sweep and clinched the No. 5 seed in next week's AAC Tournament with a 17-2 triumph in game two.
Booker Jr. (2-4) proved to be the lone Cavalier to register multiple hits in the latter half of Saturday's doubleheader as Union outhit the Cavs, 20-6.
Blake Cousens and
Stephen Karis each pitched a scoreless inning in relief during the defeat.
The Montreat baseball team now turns its attention to the AAC Tournament, where the Cavaliers will be the No. 6 seed. Double-elimination play begins on Wednesday at Hunter Wright Stadium in Kingsport, Tenn. with the Cavs set to face third-seeded Bryan College at approximately 12:00 p.m.
