Josh Shailer
Senior Josh Shailer tossed a scoreless fourth inning in Wednesday's season opener.
5
Limestone LC 0-1
6
Winner Mars Hill MHU 1-0
Limestone LC
0-1
5
Final
6
Mars Hill MHU
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Limestone LC 2 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 5 8 3
Mars Hill MHU 0 3 0 0 0 3 0 0 X 6 8 4

W: Blaine Farrell (1-0) L: Richardson, Charlie (0-1) S: Zac Brown (1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Ernest Meyers, Assistant A.D. for Media Relations

Early Power Surge Not Enough as Limestone Drops Season Opener

MARS HILL, N.C. – Despite smacking a pair of two-run homeruns early in the contest, the Limestone College baseball team dropped a 6-5 decision against Mars Hill University in the 2017 season opener on Wednesday, February 1 at Henderson Field.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Mars Hill 6, Limestone 5
Records: Mars Hill (1-0), Limestone (0-1)
Location: Henderson Field
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
 
  • Limestone finished with eight hits and six walks
  • The Saints left 14 runners on base, including the bases loaded three times
  • Junior Brennan Strovink (Rocky Point, N.Y.) went 3-for-4 with a homerun and two RBIs in his Limestone debut
  • Senior outfielder Garrett Lowery (Dallas, N.C.) added a two-run homerun
  • Junior catcher Danny Molinari (Redwood City, Calif.) chipped in a hit and an RBI
  • Junior Brady Graham (Royston, Ga.) tossed a scoreless inning in his first start
  • Junior Charlie Richardson (La Plata, Md.) was saddled with the loss
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Innings 1-3
 
Limestone opened the 2017 campaign with a bang as Strovink blasted a two-out, two-run homerun down the rightfield line in the top of the first. With two gone, junior outfielder Matt Orth (Asheboro, N.C.) kept the inning alive with a walk as the Saints jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead.
 
The Lions displayed a little two-out magic of their own in the bottom of the second as a bases-loaded triple by Devin Mangum put the home team in front, 3-2. Mars Hill only collected two hits in the inning, but benefited from two straight walks to load the bases with two outs.
 
Innings 4-6
 
Stovink led off the top of the fourth with a single before Lowery followed with a two-run blast over the leftfield wall to give the Saints a 4-3 advantage. Limestone had an opportunity to extend its lead in the fifth and then again in the sixth, but left the bases loaded in both frames.
 
Those scoring opportunities would come back to haunt the Blue and Gold in the bottom of the sixth as Mars Hill pushed across three runs to retake the lead, 6-4. The Lions, who again just had a pair of singles in the stanza, used a walk and a throwing error to plate the tying and go-ahead runs. 
 
Innings 7-9
 
With the bases juiced and one gone in the top of the seventh, Limestone capitalized as Molinari worked a bases-loaded walk to cut the margin to 6-5. However, the next batter would ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to kill the rally and keep the deficit at one.
 
The Saints would put the tying and go-ahead run on with two outs in the eighth, but the visitors would leave the bases loaded for the third time in the game. Limestone had one last chance in the ninth, advancing a runner to second with one out, but the tying run would be left stranded to seal the 6-5 loss.   
 
TURNING POINT
 
Leading 4-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth, Mars Hill used two singles, a walk, a throwing error and a sacrifice fly to plate three runs, including the eventually game-winner. Two of the three runs in the frame were unearned.
 
NOTABLES
 
  • Lowery extended his hitting streak to seven straight games, dating back to last season
  • He has also reached base in 13 straight contests going back to last year
  • Limestone dropped the season opener for a second straight year
  • The Saints still hold a 20-10 advantage in the all-time series with Mars Hill
 
UP NEXT
 
The Saints open their 2017 home schedule as they welcome Saint Anselm College to the friendly confines of Founders FCU Stadium for a three-game weekend set. Limestone and Saint Anselm will play a twinbill on Saturday, February 4 starting at 12 p.m. before closing the series on Sunday.
 
Print Friendly Version