Raider Baseball Splits With Yellow Jackets in Slugfest

Mount Union College's baseball team (17-9, 8-3 OAC) split a doubleheader with OAC rival Baldwin-Wallace (14-11, 6-5 OAC) on Wednesday, April 16 at 23rd Street Field in Alliance, Ohio.  Mount Union won the opener 13-7 but was outslugged by a score of 25-17 in the second.

In game one, B-W jumped out to an early lead in the first inning by scoring four runs.  However, the Purple Raiders answered with seven runs in the bottom of the first. A host of Raiders drove in runs including senior/catcher Jon Schulz, junior/third baseman Nate McFarland, senior/outfielder Dave Bogner, senior/second baseman Michael Almasy, and junior/outfielder Grant Sevek.

The Yellow Jackets rallied for two more runs in the third inning but Mount Union again answered back with five runs including two RBI by Sevek, two RBI by senior/outfielder Andy Warner and one RBI by Schulz.

On the mound, starter Joe Irwin improved to 4-1 lasting five innings and striking out five.  Pitcher Brad Griffith pitched two solid innings in relief.

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In game #2, Mount Union was on the losing end of a lopsided contest.

B-W opened with four runs in the first.  Mount Union answered with four runs in the first and four runs in the second inning to take an 8-4 lead. B-W then took the lead for good with a nine-run third inning for a 13-8 lead. After the Raiders closed to within 13-9 in the bottom of the third, B-W scored three times in the fifth and increased its lead to 16-9. Mount Union would score three of their own in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 16-12. A four-run sixth and another run in the seventh increased B-W's lead to 21-12. Again, Mount Union answered with three in the bottom of the seventh to make the score 21-15. B-W concluded its scoring with four runs in the top of the eighth for a 25-15 lead. Then, after Mount Union scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to close within 25-17.  The game was cut short due to darkness.

Individually for the Raiders, catcher Connor Nell went 2-3 with 4 RBI. Andy Warner and Greg Ferrell both added 3 RBI and shortstop Craig Nott added three hits and four runs scored.

The Raiders will continue OAC action on Saturday April 19, when they will host Muskingum College at the 23rd Street Field in Alliance. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm.

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