Baseball Off to 6-1 Start

MARS HILL, N.C. – The Lions' baseball completed the four-game series sweep of visiting Kutztown Sunday. Mars Hill won the first game 11-3 and then won the nightcap, 2-1. MHU improved to 6-1 on the season while the Bears fell to 0-4 overall.

Game 1: Mars Hill 11, Kutztown 3

Brett Brubaker went 2-3 with a pair of doubles and three RBI to lead the Lions to an 11-3 victory over Kutztown in game one on Sunday. Rayshelon Carolina followed going 2-4 with three runs scored, two RBI and a double. He also stole a base. Dylan Powers, Logan Conley and Christian Stampler also recorded two hits each in the win. Tom Mastrodonato picked up the win on the mound for the Lions scattering three hits while striking out six batters.

Zach Schram led the Bears at the plate going 2-4 with two runs scored, a double and a RBI. Bobby Reddick suffered the loss (0-1) on the mound for Kutztown.

Brubaker doubled in the Lions' first at-bat to plate Carolina and give Mars Hill a 1-0 lead. Bo Rottet singled to right field in the second inning to drive in Schram and tie the contest at 1-all. In the third inning, Lance Edwards tripled to center field to score Phillip Carroll and then Edwards crossed the plate on a fielder's choice to give MHU a 3-1 advantage.

After the Bears scored a single run in the top half of the third frame, Mars Hill added two more runs in the bottom half of the inning after Brubaker scored Carolina on a fielder's choice and then Conley doubled down the left field line to drive in Powers and make the score 5-2. Hunter Merrill hit a sacrifice fly in the Lions' fifth at-bat to score Conley and extend the Lions' lead to 6-2.

Mike White doubled to left-center field to plate Schram and account for the Bears' final score of the game. The Lions then exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on five hits and two Bear errors to make the final tally 11-3 in favor of the hosts. The inning was highlighted by doubles from Carolina, Powers and Brubaker. Carolina's double scored a pair of runs for MHU.

Game 2: Mars Hill 2, Kutztown 1

Drayden Williams tossed a complete game allowing just one run while scattering six hits to obtain his second win (2-0) on the season. He did not allow a walk while striking out six Bear batters. Rayshelon Carolina went 2-3 at the plate with two RBI to pace the Lions offensively. Brett Brubaker followed with two hits as well, including a double.

Kutztown took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after Jeff Zebrowski singled to right field to drive in Schram. After three scoreless innings, Carolina singled to center field to plate Evan Rogers and Lance Edwards for the tying and game-winning runs. Williams finished strong on the mound and behind solid defense by the Lions, the Bears could not muster any additional runs.

Mars Hill will play a three-game series at Winston Salem State next weekend. The first pitch on Saturday is set for 1 p.m.