Lions Split With Brevard

MARS HILL, N.C. – The Mars Hill baseball team split a doubleheader with Brevard, winning the first game 6-3 and dropping game two 6-4 in extra innings.

Game 1: Mars Hill 6, Brevard 3

The Lions used a trio of two run innings to earn a series victory over Brevard.

Brevard got on the board in the first inning after Mars Hill starter Caleb Edwards issued a one-out walk to Chip Helton. Helton scored later in the inning on a Lion error to give the Tornados a 1-0 lead. Mars Hill took the lead in the home half of the frame with a Nick Villalobos double that plated Phillip Carroll and Tommy Scala.

The Tornadoes answered with a two-run second inning. Eric Renegar led off with a single and scored on a John Slade double. Slade scored on a Chad Fisher sacrifice fly. Mars Hill took the lead for good in the fifth inning. Scala led off with a double and was joined on base by Villalobos, who was hit by a pitch with two outs. Scala scored on a Jacob Rand single, with Villalobos scoring on an error by Brevard starter Zach Joyce.

Mars Hill added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth on a pair of singles from Evan Rogers and Carroll. Brevard threatened in the ninth but Hunter Boydston induced a double play to end the game.

Carroll went three-for-five with two runs scored, while Scala went two-for-four with two runs scored. Villalobos, Rand, David King, Dalton Eisenbath and Caleb Harbin each had hits for the Lions.

Edwards earned his third win of the season, allowing three runs, two earned, with three walks and a strikeout in seven innings. Boydston recorded his second save of the season, allowing one hit with a walk and a strikeout in two innings.

Game 2: Brevard 6, Mars Hill 4 (9 innings)

Brevard scored three runs in the ninth inning after forcing extra innings with a run in the seventh inning to earn a win in the series finale.

An Evan Rogers solo home run put the Lions on the board in the third inning. Brevard answered with an RBI single by Eric Renegar that plated John Slade to tie the game. The Lions took the lead in the fifth after Jacob Rand led off with a double and advanced to third on a Shawn Weber single. Rand scored as Tornado left fielder Brock Helton dropped a fly ball near the warning track.

Mars Hill had a chance for more in the sixth inning, loading the bases with one out before Brevard escaped the inning thanks to a fielder's choice and a strikeout. In the Tornado seventh, Brayden Morris reached due to a leadoff free pass. Morris was replaced on base by Alex Bedenbaugh, who tied the game on an Aaron Goforth one out single.

Both teams added a run in the eighth inning, with Brevard taking the lead on a Brock Helton double that plated Renegar, and Mars Hill receiving an Adam Daniel single that scored Hunter Boydston to force a ninth inning. In the Brevard ninth, Chad Fisher scored on a fielder's choice to give Brevard a 4-3 lead, with Kody Spencer driving home what proved to be the game-winning run on a single. A John Slade groundout scored the Tornado's sixth and final run. Mars Hill received a leadoff double from Phillip Carroll in the ninth, who advanced to third on a Tommy Scala flyout and scored on a Zach Bumgarner sacrifice fly. Carson Anderson got a groundout to end the game and the Lion threat.

Rand and David King each had two hits for the lions. Carroll went one-for-four with a double.

Hunter Donaldson earned his first win of the season with two strikeouts in 2/3 of an inning. Anderson earned his first save of the season, allowing one run on one hit in an inning of work. Tornado starter J.D. Chaplain allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 5.1 innings.

Andy Runion was charged with his second loss of the season after allowing three runs, two earned, on two hits with a walk and two strikeouts in an inning of work. Mars Hill starter Dale Innes allowed two runs on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings.

Mars Hill returns to the diamond on Tuesday, hosting King College at 2 p.m.