Baseball Completes Sweep of WSSU
The Lions’ baseball team completed the three-game sweep of Winston-Salem State by defeating the Rams 12-9 Sunday afternoon at Henderson Field.
MARS HILL, N.C. – The Lions' baseball team completed the three-game sweep of Winston-Salem State by defeating the Rams 12-9 Sunday afternoon at Henderson Field. Mars Hill improved to 5-2 on the season while WSSU fell to 0-6 on the season.
Brett Brubaker went 2-3 with two doubles, three RBI and a pair of runs scored to lead the Lions offensively. Christian Stampler was 2-4 with three RBI and a run scored while Barrett Hennings went 3-4 with a run scored. Alan Kolb picked up the win (1-0) throwing the final 1.2 innings in relief. He allowed no runs, no hits and struck out one batter en route to his first win on the season. He faced the minimum batters in the outing setting down five batters in order.
Emilio Abreu had an impressive day at the plate for the Rams. He went 3-4 with two homeruns and eight RBI. Brandon Ford followed going 2-5 with a run scored. Ivan Acuna took the loss pitching the last 0.2 innings for the Rams.
Abreu singled in the Rams' first at-bat to plate two runs. WSSU extended their advantage to 5-0 in the third inning on four hits highlighted by a two-run homerun by Abreu.
Mars Hill got on the board in the bottom of the third inning when Stampler singled up the middle to drive in Daniel Vitello and Cody Cline. Brubaker drew a bases loaded walk in the fourth inning to cut the Rams' lead to 5-3.
Mars Hill then exploded for five runs in the sixth frame on four hits and two WSSU miscues to take an 8-5 lead. Brubaker belted a two-RBI double in the at-bat.
Abreu hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to give the Rams the lead again, 9-8. Mars Hill scored four runs of their own in the bottom half of the eighth inning on five hits. Brubaker doubled to center field to lead off the inning. With one out, Barrett Hennings singled to left field and Brubaker advanced to third base. Shomarii Thomas hit a sacrifice fly to plate Brubaker and tied the contest at 9-all. Devin Mangum then singled up the middle and Hennings advanced to second base. Lance Edwards then singled to right field to plate Hennings for what would later prove to be the game winning run. Cline later singled to plate Mangum and Edwards for two insurance runs to make the final tally 12-9 in favor of the Lions.
In the three game series against WSSU, Brubaker hit .545 with six RBI, four doubles, a homerun and four runs scored. He recorded a slugging percentage of 1.182, an on-base percentage of .615 and a 1.000 fielding percentage in 15 chances. Stampler hit .400 with five RBI, a homerun and three runs scored. He had a slugging percentage of .700 and an on-base percentage of .538. Honeycutt also had a solid weekend hitting .375 with a .750 slugging percentage. He also belted the game winning solo homerun in the bottom of the ninth in game two of the series.
Mars Hill will play at Southern Wesleyan on Wednesday, February 15. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.