Mansfield University Athletics issued the following announcement on Feb. 26.
The Mansfield University baseball team had their top offensive performance in nearly eight years as they used 20 hits to score 19 runs on their way to a 19-17 victory over non-conference opponent Salem University in their second game of day one at the Frank Loria Invitational. The Mounties fell, 12-2, to Ashland University in the morning.
The 19 runs scored in game two by the Mounties (2-5 overall) is the most since also scoring 19 in a victory over Penn College in 2014. The Mountaineers' 20 hits were the most in a game since belting out 23 in a victory over Rockhurst in 2016.
The Mounties finished with six doubles, a triple and a homer to total 18 RBI on 20 runs scored. Six different Mountaineers drove in multiple runs, led by Freedman with four RBI and freshman Shay Gustafson (2-for-6, run), sophomore Marcus Nales (3-for-5, three runs, two doubles) and senior Ben Osborne (3-for-5, two runs), who each drove in three.
Senior Cole Shomper had his best game as a Mountaineer, finishing 3-for-6 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored, while sophomore Zachary Shertzer also finished with three hits adding two RBI, a double and team-high four runs scored. Sophomore Dylan Mercedes finished with the team's lone triple, while senior Brady Mengal rounded out the multi-hit efforts with two singles, a run scored and RBI. Senior Assaf Lowengart doubled and scored twice.
The Mountaineers used five different pitchers as junior Todd Erney, freshman Jacob Houtz and junior Josh Colon each struck out two batters. Houtz earned his first victory in the circle, tossing 3 and 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on two hits.
The Mounties got the scoring started with two runs off the bats of Freedman and Mengal in the top of the first inning.
Mansfield tacked on a run in the second when Osborne singled in Shomper, but Salem answered by erupting for seven runs in the bottom of the second to take a 7-3 lead.
However, the Mounties had immediately an answer as they belted out six hits to plate four runs to knot the game at 7-7. Shertzer, Nales and Gustafson drove in runs in the inning.
The theme continued as Salem regained the lead with a two-run bottom of the fourth, before each team put up three runs in the fifth to make it 12-12.
The Mounties added two runs in the top of the sixth when Shertzer doubled in Mercedes and later came around to score off an RBI single from Gustafson, before Salem cut the lead in half with a run in the seventh.
The top of the eighth is when the Mounties created the needed separation, plating six runs on three hits, highlighted by a three-run home run by Freedman, his second of the season. Osborne drove in two runs with a single before the blast from Freedman.
Nales rounded out the Mountaineer scoring with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth.
The Tigers plated three runs in the bottom of the ninth, but the Mounties lead proved insurmountable as Colon eventually shut the door.
Nathan Kuhn and Scott Kondroik homered twice and drove in five runs and Nathan Kuhn also left the yard to lead to Salem's offense.
In game one, the Mounties fell to Ashland University, 12-2, powered by a six-run sixth inning. The Mounties plated two runs in the seventh when Mengal knocked in Freedman with a double and later came around to score on a single by junior Alan Bautista.
Mengel, Bautista, Freedman and Mercedes notched hits for MU in game two.
Senior Hunter DePrimo was handed his first loss on the mound, allowing four runs in four and 1/3 innings, while striking out three.
Austin Eifrid and Tim Zeller (HR, two RBI, three runs) each finished with three hits to lead Ashland. Justin Dyksma earned the win in the circle, tossing six scoreless innings, while striking out four.
The Mounties are back in action tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 27 for a non-conference doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. against Ashland before wrapping up the weekend at 2:30 p.m. against Salem.
Original source can be found here.
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