ALLIANCE, Ohio - The Mount Union baseball team (8-6, 2-0 OAC) began Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play with a doubleheader against Marietta College (9-9, 0-2 OAC). The Purple Raiders notched a big series sweep over the Pioneers, who received votes in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25 rankings this past week. 

 

In game one, senior starting right-handed pitcher Zachary Breeden (Cincinnati, Ohio / Oak Hills) had a strong outing, pitching 6.1 innings with five strikeouts and allowing only two runs. Senior right-handed pitcher Brady Hansen (Beaver, Pa. / Beaver Area) came in relief in the seventh inning and earned his second win of the season, pitching 2.2 innings.  

 

Offensively, the Purple Raiders started the game hot, scoring two runs in the first inning, highlighted by RBI singles by graduate first baseman Jaired Lehman (Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway) and freshman catcher Daniel Thome III (Lakewood, Ohio / St. Edwards).  
 

In the top of the eighth inning, Mount Union had a massive offensive surge with two outs. Sophomore left fielder Luke Ickes (Green, Ohio / Green) delivered an RBI single up the middle, giving the Purple Raiders a 3-2 lead. However, they continued to press the advantage. Sophomore center fielder Brycen Fox (Hamilton, Ohio / Badin) followed with a double to center field, scoring two runners. Senior third baseman Chris Viamonte (Naples, Fla. / Coral Gables) then contributed with another RBI single hit up the middle, giving the Purple Raiders a 6-2 lead. 

 

Junior right fielder Chris Tsouras (Las Vegas, Nev. / Arbor) added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning with an RBI triple, securing the 7-2 win. Tsouras finished the game 3-for-4, including two extra-base hits. He has recorded 15 hits in his last nine games. 

 

In game two, Lehman got the bump on the mound and provided 5.0 innings of quality work with three strikeouts, allowing only two runs. Senior right-handed pitcher Chris Phillips (Elyria, Ohio / Elyria) entered the game in relief during the sixth inning. He delivered an outstanding performance with 4.0 innings of work and a strikeout, allowing only one hit and no runs, securing his first win of the season. 

 

The Purple Raiders offense started the game off hot once again, as graduate second baseman Andrew Witte (Mentor, Ohio / Mentor) drove in a run in the first inning with a groundout at second base, scoring Viamonte, who tripled to lead the inning off. In the second inning, graduate catcher Logan Bell (Alliance, Ohio / Alliance) hit a sacrifice fly to center field, to give Mount Union the 2-0 lead. 

Marietta tied the game at two in the bottom of the second inning, but it then turned into a pitching battle. With the bases loaded and runners stranded, no runs were scored for five consecutive innings. 

 

Senior shortstop Alex Stegman (Berea, Ohio / Berea-Midpark) delivered a massive opposite-field double down the left-field line to start the top of the eighth inning. Senior first baseman Johnny Costella (Cleveland, Ohio / Trinity) put the ball in play to the second baseman, resulting in a fielding error, which drove in the 3-2 leading run. 

 

Fox led off the top of the ninth inning with a walk, then Viamonte drove him in with an insurance run, hitting an RBI double to left-center field. Viamonte finished the day with a 2-for-5 performance, including two extra-base hits.  

 

The Purple Raiders added more insurance runs as Tsouras hit a booming opposite-field, bases-clearing, three-RBI double, giving Mount Union a 7-2 lead. Costella continued to perform well, hitting an RBI single through the right side, extending the lead to 8-2. Thome III kept it pouring, delivering an opposite-field RBI single to give the Purple Raiders the 9-2 lead.

 

Phillips completed the ninth inning, securing a series sweep with a 9-2 victory. 

 

Mount Union baseball's next game will be on the road in Adrian, Michigan, on Wednesday evening against Adrian College.