Baseball sneaks by McMurry to advance to second round

The Patriots men’s baseball won the best two out-of-three series by sweeping Saturday’s double header 10-0 and 4-3, after losing game one 3-2.

Both teams scored in the first inning of game one. McMurry’s Nathan Saltzgaber scored on a wild pitch and Patriots’ Jeremy Harding tied the game with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning.

Both teams were held scoreless until the sixth inning.

McMurry scored two runs in the inning on a home run by Tre Lips.

Patriots answered in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Jared Hood that scored Chad Daleiden.

Brett Holland and Beau Ziegler held McMurry scoreless for the remainder of the game, but Patriots failed to score again.

The Patriots did threatened in the ninth inning. After a lead off strike out, Paige Hodges singled into left field and moved to third on a two out single by Joe Towns.

Nathan Skeen then lined out to shortstop to end the game.

Holland was hit for the loss, giving up all three runs on four hits in seven innings of work.

Game two however, was all Patriots from start to finish.

In the second inning, Brock Lemire reached first on an error by the second baseman. Lemire moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Towns and scored on a double by Austin Newell. Newell later scored on a single from Kendall Fox.

The Patriots broke the game open by scoring four runs in the fifth and two in the sixth. Lemire capped off the inning with a two-run home run.

In the sixth, the Patriots load the bases and score on a fielder choice by Harding and a single by Hood.

The Patriots added two more runs in the ninth on a single by Daleiden and a groundout by Harding.

Patriots’ starter Blake Booher lived up to his Pre-Season All-American honor by pitching the complete game shutout. Booher struck out four while only allowing four hits and one walk. It’s Booher’s ninth win of the year and 30th career win as a Patriot.

Game three of the series turned out to be a little closer.

The Patriots scored the first run of the game in the third inning. Newell led off the inning with a single to left and stealing second. He moved to second on a ground out by Skeen and scored on a single by Fox.

McMurry tied the game in the sixth inning when Saltzgaber scored on a throwing error by starting pitcher Lex Wolfe.

Patriots regained the lead in the seventh on a single by Newell that scored Lemire.

McMurry tied the game again in the eighth on a single by Jake Mullins.

The Patriots answered in the bottom of the inning thanks to a two out error by third baseman Stephen Derrick that scored Harding.

Once again, McMurry tied the game in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Brad Baker led off with a walk and was followed by a single by Jeff Jackson.

Both runners moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt by Gerad Morris, and the next batter, Weston Franco, was intentionally walked.

The next batter, Nathan Love, hit a ground ball that third baseman Hodges fielded cleanly but dropped the while trying to transfer it to his throwing hand.

Baker scored the tying run and the bases remained loaded.

Patriots’ reliever Ziegler, however, struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

Towns led off the bottom of the inning and reached on an error by Baker, who subbed in at third after pinch-hitting in the top of the inning.

Chris Tucker came in to pinch-run for Towns and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Newell. Skeen then singled into left field to score Tucker and win the series.

“I just wanted to make sure I stayed on top of the ball and hit it hard somewhere,” Skeen said.

Coach James Vilade said after game one and leaving a lot of guys on base, he got with the guys and told them they have to battle, compete, and have confidence and they did.

Patriots’ starter Lex Wolfe help set the tone of game pitching seven innings and only giving up one earned run.

“That was the shot in the arm that we needed,” Vilade said. “I talked to him after his last outing and told him he needed out and fire every pitch and not hold back.”

The Patriots play Texas Lutheran University, which won the ASC West Division, 3 p.m., Friday on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss.

By Clay Ihlo Sports Writer