GRAYSON, Ky.— The Montreat baseball team faced the Kentucky Christian University Knights in an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) doubleheader in Kentucky Friday afternoon. Despite dropping the first competition, 5-0, the Cavaliers rebounded with a close 5-4 victory in the second matchup to move to 9-11 (5-3 AAC) on the year.
Kentucky Christian (9-4, 1-4 AAC) kept the Montreat offense at bay for the entirety of the initial contest. The Knights notched a run in the second, while KCU's pitching held the Cavaliers without a hit through 6 2/3 innings.
Though the Cavs loaded the bases via walks in the third, the visitors failed to capitalize on the situation. Kentucky Christian went on to score four runs over its last three trips to the plate to build its insurance up to five runs.
Andres Balart broke up the home team's no-hitter in the top of the seventh and
Manny Moore singled in the ninth, but KCU outhit Montreat 10-2 in the 5-0 ballgame.
Tyler Best was the Cavaliers' most efficient pitcher in the opening game, scattering five hits across his 4 2/3 frames, while allowing just one run and striking out three.
The Knights used three first-inning runs to jump out to a 3-0 lead through one in the second matchup. After KCU miscues set the table for a comeback,
Elijah Baptist scored on an error and
Tommy Ramos delivered a 2-out, 2-RBI single to knot the score at three in the third.
That began a stretch of three consecutive innings where the Cavs scored as Montreat tallied a bases-loaded walk in the fourth and
Milo Trevino's first hit and RBI of the season to go up 5-3 in the fifth.
Though KCU brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh and pulled within one, Montreat secured its split and held on to win, 5-4.
Zeb Marquis and
Jaider Morelos each concluded 2-for-3 at the plate, combining for four of the Cavaliers' six hits in the game. On the mound,
Ryan Henrickson collected his second win of the year thanks to four innings pitched, surrendering three hits and three runs with a trio of strikeouts.
Elian Cuevas sealed the 1-run final with three frames to notch his second save in 2024. The junior gave up one run on three hits, fanning four in the process.
Baseball now concludes its series with the Knights tomorrow at 12 p.m.
