Mars Hill earns split with Coker on road

HARTSVILLE, S.C. - The Mars Hill baseball team (5-8, 1-2 SAC) earned a split in Monday's doubleheader versus Coker (6-6-1, 2-1 SAC), taking game one by a score of 12-7 and falling in game two by a 3-2 score.

GAME ONE: MHU 12, COK 7

Mars Hill tallied five runs in the first three innings to go up 5-0 early in the contest.  Paul Martin started the scoring in the second inning with a RBI groundout that scored Scottie Lee.  In the top of the third with the bases loaded, Lee was hit by a pitch and plated Daniel Vitello to put the Lions up 2-0.  Following a Gray McCurry walk, Martin drove in two more runs with a double into right field to put the Lions up by five.

In the bottom half of the frame, Coker strung together four runs to cut the Mars Hill lead to one.  All off of singles, the Cobras brought to the contest to a 5-4 score before the Lions exploded for four more runs in the top of the fourth.

Matt Honeycutt launched a three-run home run to double extend the Lions' lead to 8-4.  Lee, with his second solo home run in as many days, put the Lions up 9-4 entering the bottom half of the inning.  

Lake Lyndbrand's RBI groundout in the fourth once again cut the Lions' lead to four, but Mars Hill once again responded by scoring two in the top of the seventh.  Tacking on one more run in the top of the eighth, Adam Plouffe tripled to right center field to run their lead to seven.

Coker scored one run in the bottom of the eighth and ninth to narrow the deficit to five before folding to Mars Hill.  

Vitello and Martin each had three hits on the day with Martin collecting a team-high three RBI along with Honeycutt.  Larry McCabe went 3-for-5 for the Cobras and drove in three runs.

Brad Dzeskewicz picked up his first win of the season, allowing one run in three innings pitched.  Michael DeLeo suffered the loss, allowing five runs on three hits in 2.1 innings pitched.

GAME TWO: COK 3, MHU 2

In a lower scoring contest, the Cobras were able to hold off Mars Hill to pick up the series win, taking game two by a score of 3-2.

Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the third, Coker scored two runs to take the lead.  Reilly Hall's fielder's choice plated Casey Demko for the tying run and on a double steal, Grant Thompson crossed home to put Coker up 2-1.  

Chase Bruno extended the Cobras' lead to 3-1 with a RBI single up the middle.  In the top of the sixth, Adam Plouffe's RBI single through the left side pulled the Lions within one.  In the top of the seventh with a runner on second, a two-out flyout signaled th end of the Lions comeback bid.

Mars Hill took the 1-0 lead off of a Scottie Lee single in the top of the first inning that plated Austin Treadway.

Nathan Landreth earned the victory, allowing five hits and two runs n 5.2 innings pitched.  Cody English was credited with the loss, giving up two runs on three hits in 2.1 innings pitched.

The Lions take to the road to face Limestone on Tuesday, February 26th in non-conference action.  First pitch is slated for a 5 p.m. start.