Late inning rallies secure Sunday sweep over Coker

MARS HILL, N.C. – The Mars Hill baseball team (7-8, 7-7 SAC) swept Coker (4-11, 3-7 SAC) on Sunday afternoon by scores of 6-5 and 8-5.

GAME ONE: MHU 6, COKER 5

A walkoff double off the bat of Trevor Bailey secured the game one victory for the Lions.

Trailing 5-4 entering the bottom of the seventh, a RBI double from Scottie Lee tied the game at five.  Bailey followed up with his second RBI of the game, plating Lee for the game-winning run.

Bailey tied the game at one in the bottom of the first with a RBI single that scored Tyler Lala.  Coker regained the lead in the top of the fourth inning off of a RBI single from Cam Murray, scoring Lake Lybrand.

Kyle Jenkins knotted the game at two with a solo home run to left field.  In the bottom of the fifth, the Lions tacked on two runs.  Lee provided the 3-2 lead with a RBI double down the left field line.  Austin Treadway's sacrifice fly with the bases loaded allowed Lala to cross home.

After cutting the deficit to one in the top of the sixth, Coker retook the lead with a two-run home run off the bat of Brian Castillo.

Castillo and Murray each recorded two hits and two RBI for the Cobras while Lee and Bailey matched that for the Lions.

AJ Chacon picked up his third win of the season, striking out five while allowing four runs on nine hits for the complete game win.  Griffin Hollifield allowed two runs on three hits in 1.1 innings pitched in the loss.

GAME TWO: MHU 8, COKER 5

Jordan Lathe's three-run triple in the bottom of the eighth inning secured the Sunday sweep for the Lions.

Tied at five and entering the bottom of the eighth with a deep hit ball to right center, Lathe was at a full sprint rounding second with no intention of stopping.  Following a miscommunication in the outfield, Lathe rounded third and easily beat the throw home, putting the Lions up by three.

Nick Von Tobel came in at the top of the ninth to pick up the save.

Lathe hit a home run to open the scoring, a leadoff shot to left field in the bottom of the first.  Coker scored three in the top of the fourth, capped off by a Brian Castillo single that scored Kody Hanna.

The Lions tied the contest in the fourth as Tyler Lala hit a solo home run down the left field line and later in the stanza, a Kyle Jenkins' RBI double plated Austin Treadway to knot the game at three-all.

Trevor Bailey provided the Lions a 5-3 lead with a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth, plating Scottie Lee and Lala. 

Castillo, following a RBI groundout in the top of the sixth, tied the game at five with a RBI single in the top of the eighth.

Lathe ended the contest with a home run, a triple, and four RBI.  Castillo ended the game with three RBI.

Connor Presnell earned the win, allowing two runs on three hits in four innings pitched.  Chris Watkins suffered the loss.

The Lions close out the series versus Coker on Monday, March 15.  First pitch is set for 12 p.m.