Lions take first two in series versus Cavaliers

WISE, Va. - The Mars Hill baseball team (16-20, 11-17 SAC) earned the Saturday sweep over UVA Wise (4-27, 3-25 SAC) by scores of 15-1 and 10-9, respectively.

GAME ONE: MHU 15, UVAW 1 (5 Innings)

The Lions' bats came alive in game one versus the Cavaliers, scoring 15 runs in five innings to take game one.

Entering the second inning down 1-0 off of Gabe Wurtz solo home run, Zach Weaver answered with a solo shot of his own to tie the game.  Later in the inning, Austin Treadway plated Kyle Jenkins to give the Lions the lead.

In the top of the third, both Ruben Trillo and Tyler Lala hit solo home runs to left field.  Mars Hill plated nine in the fourth inning, all off of home runs.  Trevor Bailey hit two two-run home runs in the inning while Casey Mahinney hit a two-run shot to left field and Weaver hit his second of the game, a three-run bomb to center field.

Hunter Holland got in on the action, hitting a two-run home run in the top of the fifth.

Both Bailey and Weaver recorded three hits, four RBI, and two home runs.  Mawhinney and Holland drove in two apiece.

AJ Chacon picked up his fifth win of the season, allowing one run on four hits while striking out five in the complete game.

GAME TWO: MHU 10, UVAW 9

The Lions held off a charging Cavaliers team in the bottom of the ninth to earn the Saturday sweep.

Mars Hill, leading 10-5, allowed four runs in the bottom of the ninth, highlighted by Cole Harness' three-run home run to pull within two.  A passed ball allowed Hunter Meador to score, but Connor Presnell's clutch strikeout on Clay Taylor preserved the lead and the win.

Ruben Trillo opened the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the first, but Gabe Wurtz countered in the bottom half of the inning with a solo shot of his own.  Following Casey Mawhinney's solo home run in the top of the third, Wurtz once again answered, this time with a three-run home run in the bottom of the stanza.

Each team scored a run in the fourth with the Lions entering the fifth down 5-3.  Tyler Lala tied the game in the fifth with a two-run home run.  In the top of the seventh, Zach Weaver put the Lions up by two with a two-run shot of his own as Trillo scored his third run of the game.

Lala struck again in the top of the eighth with a bases clearing double, driving in his game-high fifth RBI as the Lions took a five-run lead.

Wurtz led the Cavaliers with two hits and four RBI while Harness drove in three.  Lala went 2-for-5 with five RBI.  Mawhinney recorded two hits and scored twice.

Andrew Hazell earned his fourth win of the season, allowing five runs on five hits in six innings while striking out seven.

The Lions close out the regular season on Sunday, April 18 versus UVA Wise.  First pitch is set for 1 p.m.