(WINTER HAVEN, FL)—Matt Lambert (Massillon/Massillon
Washington) came out of the bull pen and pitched 6.2 innings of
scoreless relief and Connor Nell (Delaware/Olentangy) led off the
bottom of the eighth inning with his first home run of the season
that turned out to be the game winner at the Mount Union College
baseball team rallied to beat Wittenberg University, 13-12 Thursday
in Winter Haven, FL.
Lambert came on in the third inning with Wittenberg having the
bases loaded and an 11-6 lead. He walked in a run to make it
12-6 but stopped the damage there and allowed only six hits the
rest of the way for his first win of the season.
The offense came back around starting in the sixth as the
Raiders plated a pair of runs on a fielder's choice from Matt
Tracy (Pittsburgh, PA/Central Catholic). The other run came
as the Wittenberg catcher tried to pick off Tracy at first and
threw the ball into right field and a run came in from third.
Mount Union tied the game with a four run seventh inning that
started with a leadoff home run from Craig Knott (Canton/GlenOak),
a two-RBI single from Nate McFarland (Canton/GlenOak) and an RBI
single from Grant Sevek (Salem/Salem).
Nell then led off the eighth inning with a blast that went over
the left field wall and proved to be the difference.
Wittenberg (1-5) scored a run in the top of the first inning and
Mount Union answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame
on a Cory Slaybaugh (Hartville/Lake) single.
The Tigers tacked five runs on the board in the second, but once
again Mount Union matched with four runs to tie the game at 6 on a
Nell two-run single, a ground out from Knott and a home run from
Greg Ferrell (Uniontown/Green).
Darin Mumaw, was one of four Wittenberg pitchers used and got
tagged with the loss.
Mount Union, now winners of four straight games will play a
doubleheader against Trine (IN) University Friday at 9:30 a.m. in
Winter Haven, FL. The Raiders will then depart for LaGrange,
GA, where they will play a Saturday afternoon game at LaGrange
College before returning to Ohio.
