SMC Baseball Falls in Slugfest to Montreat
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Spartanburg Methodist | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 0 |
|
Montreat (NC) | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | X | 16 | 14 | 3 |
Montreat, N.C. – A matchup of two future Appalachian Athletic Conference teams turned into a mid-week slugfest with host Montreat outlasting Spartanburg Methodist College, 16-15 on Tuesday afternoon. The Pioneers pounded out 15 hits, whereas the Cavaliers recorded 14.
SMC, who is in its first year of NAIA play, falls to 2-13 on the season. Montreat raises its record to 7-10.
The Pioneers had three players – Matt Smith, Tanner Martin and Leo Lopez – with three hits. Smith drove in five, Jarian Pinckney brought in three and Dario Astudillo brought in a pair.
The Cavaliers were led by Manny Moore, who went 3-for-5 with five RBI and two runs scored. Lead-off batter Zeb Marquis went 2-for-2 with five runs scored and two RBI to lead Montreat.
SMC plated two in the first before the home team came back with nine in its half of the inning for a 9-2 lead. The Pioneers played catchup for most of the contest, scoring three in three in the fourth and three in the fifth.
The comeback continued in the seventh as SMC plated four runs – three of which came in on a three-run home run by Smith. Later in the inning, a RBI ground out by Blake Exizian made it a one-run game. Montreat picked up a run in its half of the seventh to make it a 15-13 game.
The Pioneers managed to tie the game in the eighth with a pair of runs as Smith knotted it up at 15 with an RBI single. Again, Montreat had an answer in its half of the inning. In the inning, the Cavaliers got a base runner aboard with a hit by pitch. The next batter singled through the right side to put runners on the corners.
SMC nearly had a double play to get out of the inning but Jaider Morelos beat out the throw to plate the win as Zeb Marquis scored from the third. The Pioneers had one more chance in the ninth with the tying run at second on a pair of occasions. Then, back-to-back strikeouts spoiled the comeback to end the game.
Next, SMC will host Morris for a three-game series to begin Continental Athletic Conference play. The series between the Pioneers and the Hornets will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 1 at 1 p.m.
