FAYETTE, Mo. – The No. 15 Central Methodist University baseball team (23-5) swept (RV) Benedictine College in the first two games of a conference three-game series at home on Monday afternoon.
GAME ONE (Win 5-2)
A big opening frame led the Eagles to victory in the first game. Z Westley (JR/Midland, Mich.) got CMU on the board first, earning two RBIs on a single to right-center. Logan Haring (JR/DeKalb, Ill.) stepped up just two batters later to hit a three-run bomb over the centerfield fence on a 1-2 count, giving the Eagles a 5-0 advantage.
Both teams remained scoreless until the Ravens responded with one run in the fourth and another in the fifth. Westley stopped a potential rally by throwing a line drive from left field to Max McCay (JR/Carlisle, Iowa) at home, who had a diving tag to get the runner out and close the inning.
Kyle Fulton (SR/Monroe City, Mo.) secured the win on the mound, striking out eight through six innings pitched. Tyler Robbins (JR/Bay City, Mich.) entered for the final inning to earn a save.
GAME TWO (Win 8-2)
The Ravens struck first in the second game, notching a home run over the left field wall in the opening frame. The Eagles responded in the bottom of the first with a hoppy grounder from Adrian Martinez (JR/Toa Alta, Puerto Rico) to the shortstop for an RBI.
McCay singled to left in the second inning to knock in a run and put the Eagles ahead. Benedictine would score its final run of the game with a hit that squeaked up the middle.
A double steal from Riley Richarz (SR/Milwaukee, Wis.) and Luke Knoble (SR/Auburn, Calif.), led to Richarz scoring on an errant throw down to third base in the bottom of the fourth.
Central Methodist put together a strong fifth inning, beginning the three-run affair with a double from Haring deep down the left field line to score two. McCay knocked a shot to shallow center to bring Haring home later in the frame.
Westley closed the game with two RBIs to end the scoring, hitting a single to shallow left field to score Edward Nunez-Beltre (SR/Azua, Dominican Republic) and Austin Bucher (JR/Jackson, Mo.) from second and third.
Peyton Long (JR/Des Moines, Iowa) tossed six innings to get the win after striking out a season-high 15, giving up five hits, and allowing one earned run. Robbins entered in the 8th inning to close out the game by throwing a scoreless final two frames.
UP NEXT:
Central Methodist closes out its series with the Ravens tomorrow afternoon, playing one 9-inning game starting at 1 PM.
