Baseball Sweeps Brevard

BREVARD, N.C. – The Lions swept a double-header at Brevard Saturday afternoon at Gil Coan Field. Mars Hill won the first game 12-4 and then won the nightcap, 13-0. The Lions recorded 25 hits on the day. Mars Hill improved to 19-17 overall and an even 7-7 in the conference. The Tornados fell to 9-25 on the year, 2-13 in the SAC.

Game 1: MHU 12, BC 4

Christian Stampler went 3-5 with a homerun and four RBI to pace the Lions offensively in game one. Matt Honeycutt followed going 2-4 with a pair of RBI. Zac Brown threw 6.0 innings to pick up the win (3-3) scattering seven hits allowing four runs. Kaleb McCurry threw the final three innings allowing three hits and no runs while striking out two batters to obtain his second save of the season.

Schuyler Martire and Tyler Konzen tallied two hits apiece to lead Brevard at the plate. Konzen added an RBI. Kyle Pittman took the loss (0-6) throwing 5.1 innings allowing 10 runs on seven hits.

After MHU scored a single run in their first at-bat on a Brevard error, the Tornados scored three runs in the bottom half of the first frame on five hits. Another BC error in the third inning allowed Daniel Vitello to cross the plate and trim the Tornados' lead to 3-2. The Lions won the contest in the fifth inning scoring five runs on four hits highlighted by a two-RBI single by Honeycutt and a three-run homerun by Stampler.

The Tornados added a single run in the bottom half of the fifth inning before MHU sealed the win in the sixth stanza adding four runs on five hits and one Brevard miscue to lead 11-4. Brett Brubaker and Honeycutt hit RBI singles in the at-bat. Mars Hill added an insurance run in the eighth inning to make the final score 12-4 in favor of the Lions.

Game 2: MHU 13, BC 0

Hunter Merrill paced the Lions ta the plate in game two going 4-5 with a triple, a double, three runs scored and two RBI. He also added his 19^th stolen base on the season. Gray McCurry went 1-3 with a grand slam homerun. Alec Bivins threw a complete game shutout, his second on the season. He pitched seven innings allowing just eight hits while striking out four batters and walking only one. He also allowed only one extra base hit.

Blaine Durham went 3-3 at the plate with a double to lead the Tornados offensively. Konzen suffered the loss (2-6) for Brevard on the mound.

Mars Hill exploded for five runs in their first at-bat on four hits highlighted by a grand slam homerun by Gray McCurry, his first long ball of the season. MHU added three runs in the second inning on two hits and two Brevard errors to lead 8-0.

The Lions added two runs in the fifth inning on three hits to extend their lead to 10-0. Gray McCurry hit a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Honeycutt and then Barrett Hennings singled through the left side to send Stampler home.

In the sixth inning, Vitello hit a sacrifice fly to left field to send Merrill home and then in the Lions' seventh and final at-bat, Merrill doubled to left-center field to drive in Lance Edwards and Travis Owens to make the final tally 13-0 in favor of the visitors.

These two teams will conclude the three-game series tomorrow with a single game beginning at 1 p.m.