MARION, N.C.— Montreat's baseball team hosted the Bryan College Lions on Thursday. With this week's forecast of rain, the series was pushed earlier and moved to Big League Camp in Marion, N.C. to avoid the weather. The Cavs split the doubleheader, losing the first contest, 6-2, and winning the second matchup, 14-3.
Right away in the initial game, Montreat got on the scoreboard courtesy of a
Justin Austin RBI double in the first frame. The play scored
Dawson Bryant. Montreat had runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the fourth, but the Cavs (20-29, 11-18 AAC) struck out twice to end the inning.
The Lions (25-20, 17-12 AAC) scored in three consecutive innings to take a 5-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth. Bryan added another run to its total during the top of the eighth. The Cavs got a run back in the final frame when
Brett Pitzer reached on a fielder's choice. The Lions attempted to double up the Cavs, but the throw to first got away from the first baseman.
Blake Watts reached third and advanced home to score on the throwing error. The Cavs fell, 6-2, in the initial contest.
Merritt Evans started on the mound for Montreat. He pitched for six complete frames while allowing 10 hits and five runs. He struck out three Lions and walked two. His pitch count ended at 97. With the loss, Evans' record moved to 3-6.
Nick Kantzavelos pitched the final three innings and allowed just two hits and a run. He walked a batter but struck out three during his time on the mound.
In game two, Montreat dominated the Lions, scoring 14 runs in the process. With the bases loaded in the third inning, Watts grounded to the pitcher and was tagged out. The out was productive and plated
Zeb Marquis for the opening run of the game.
In the fourth,
Jaider Morelos cleared the bases when he smashed a double to left center. Bryant, Marquis and
Daniel Wagner scored on the play. The Cavs blew the game open in the fifth when they tallied seven runs. The first two scored from RBI singles. Two wild pitches scored another two runs. The highlight in the inning came when Morelos crushed a baseball over the fence in left field. The blast scored three runs. Morelos etched his sixth RBI of the game with the bomb.
In the sixth, the Lions got three runs back from a sacrifice fly and a double that scored two. Watts capped off the scoring in the bottom of the sixth when he singled to left, driving home Marquis.
Ryan Henrickson got the nod in the second game. He struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced. He ultimately pitched for 5 2/3 innings, allowing just three hits and three runs. He totaled eight strikeouts while recording his first win for the Cavs this season.
Jayden Hughes replaced Henrickson in the sixth and finished the game. Hughes threw for 1 1/3 frames, giving up two hits and no runs. He struck out one batter.
Morelos led the Cavs with four hits and six RBIs in the doubleheader. Austin and Watts each had three hits on the day. Bryant and Wagner had two apiece. Austin had the only RBI in game one, but five different Montreat players registered at least one RBI in the second game.
Montreat went 20-for-64 combined in both games at the plate. Of its 20 hits, five went for extra bases. The Cavs struck out just once in game two and nine times altogether on the day.
"Today was a good split against a good team," said head coach
Jason Beck. "Ryan really stepped up and told us to get on his back. The guys took to that and responded for him at the plate as well. Hopefully tomorrow we match the intensity and aggressive swings and win a much-needed series."
The Cavs will play Bryan again tomorrow in the series finale at 3 p.m.
