Will Earnesty's seventh-inning double (and run scored) was his only "official" hit in the game Sunday against Mount Aloysius. However, his bases-loaded, two-out, hit by pitch plated the game-winning score as the Fighting Squirrels (3-4) rallied for an 8-7 victory.
After giving up three runs in the top of the ninth inning to the Mounties, falling behind 7-5, MBU rallied for the win by combining three runs on one hit, one error, two walks (one intentional), a balk and two hit batsmen. The rally made a winner out of
Bradley Warren (1-0), who didn't surrender a run and got the last two outs of the top of the ninth despite allowing two walks and a hit batsman but getting the strike out to end the Mount Aloysius inning.
Noah Kessler and
Tucker Hensley were 3-for-5 with an extra-base hit, run scored and RBI to lead the MBU attack.
Michael Muller also had two of the Fighting Squirrels' 12 hits in the contest.
The visitors took a 3-0 lead early before Kessler smacked a double, scoring Earnesty, to get on the board. In the seventh, MBU erased a 4-1 deficit with four on the board, highlighted by Hensley's RBI triple. He then scored on a balk for the 5-4 lead.
In the top of the ninth, Mount Aloysius bounced back with three runs and looked to sweep the weekend three-game series before MBU's rally started with one out in the bottom of the ninth.
Tyler Morley touched the plate with the first run on a balk, followed by a sac fly RBI by
Tyler Smith. After
Michael Robertson was intentionally walked for the second time in the game, Earnsty took the count to 3-2 before a pitch glanced off his shoulder and knocked in the game-winner.
MBU returns to action Tuesday (3/5) with a non-conference game at Bridgewater (3 p.m.). Wednesday's (3/6) contest at Washington & Lee has already been postponed due to impending weather - that has been re-scheduled for Tuesday, April 2 at 6 p.m. The next home game will be Thursday (3/7) against Ferrum, with first pitch slated for 3 p.m.