Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- Mount Union's baseball team opened the 2012 season with a pair of 4-3 wins against Bridgewater (Va.) College Sunday in Auburndale, Fla.
Solid pitching was the theme of the day for the Purple Raiders (2-0) as four pitchers combined to hold Bridgewater (9-3) to 10 hits over the two games. It was a Bridgewater team that had already played 10 games and came in on a seven-game winning streak.
Senior hurler Beau Smith (Frederick, Md./Frederick) did the job for Mount Union in the first game as he tossed a complete game two-hitter, did not allow an earned run and struck out seven for his first win of the season.
Mount Union got on the board early as junior Josh West (Medina/Buckeye) and Evan Knott (Canton/GlenOak) each had RBI singles in the first inning to make it 2-0.
The Eagles would score an unearned run in the second to cut the lead in half.
The Raiders got back on the board in the fifth as they started the inning with three-straight singles before sophomore Lee Grosscup (Green/Green) earned a bases loaded walk and another run would score on an error to extend the lead to 4-1.
Bridgewater plated two more runs in the sixth but Smith pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to lock down the win.
In the second game, sophomore Matt Murzynski (Mentor/Lake Catholic) scattered eight hits over the first six innings and struck out three for the win, while freshman Josh Pryor (Cortland/Lakeview) came on with two runners on in the bottom of the seventh and got out of it for a save in his first collegiate appearance.
Mount Union started the scoring with a run in the third on a Connor Mathis (Akron/Firestone) RBI single. Mathis would also post RBI singles in the fifth and seventh as he finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBI.
Grosscup also drove in a run on two hits while fellow sophomores Jimmy Dobran (Poland/Poland Seminary) and Ricky Olasz (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin) each had two hits.
Mount Union will take on Clark (Mass.) in a doubleheader tomorrow in Florida.
Mount Union 4, Bridgewater (Va.) 3 (Mar 04, 2012 at Auburndale, Fla.)(Game 1)
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Bridgewater (Va.)... 010 002 0 - 3 2 1 (9-2)
Mount Union......... 200 020 X - 4 6 3 (1-0)
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Pitchers: Bridgewater (Va.) - J. Lucas and D. Snow. Mount Union - Beau Smith and Steve Mitch.Win-Beau Smith Loss-J. Lucas T-1:33 A-57 Weather: Cloudy
Mount Union 4, Bridgewater (Va.) 3 (Mar 04, 2012 at Auburndale, Fla.) (Game 2)
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Mount Union......... 001 010 2 - 4 10 0 (2-0)
Bridgewater (Va.)... 000 101 1 - 3 8 1 (9-3)
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Pitchers: Mount Union - Matt Murzynski; Mike Horning(7); Josh Pryor(7) and C.J. Stotler.Bridgewater (Va.) - R. Gallet; T. Slanovec(6) and R. Smith.Win-Matt Murzynski Save-Josh Pryor Loss-T. Slanovec T-2:07 A-68 Weather: Sunny, 65 degrees, windy Horning faced 2 batters in the 7th
