GREENSBORO, N.C. – The story of game three of the new season unfolded similar to that of the first two for the Guilford College baseball team, as defensive mishaps led to three extra runs, three extra baserunners, and a whole bunch of extra pitches, ultimately resulting in a defeat at the hands of the University of Mount Union, 11-5, at Edgar H. McBane Field on Sunday afternoon.
With the win the Purple Raiders come away with the opening weekend sweep and move to 3-0, while the Quakers drop to the opposite of that record at 0-3.
Jacob Ray (Burlington, N.C.) encountered trouble in the second and ultimately could not fully recover as he finished by only hurling 2.2 innings allowing six runs, four earned, on four hits, three walks and a hit batsman against two strikeouts, taking the loss and falling to 0-1. UMU starter Jack Faflik did not end up qualifying for the win as he went 4.0-plus allowing three runs, all earned, on five hits, three walks, and one hit batter while striking out four. Instead, it was Christopher Mauer who collected the win in his collegiate debut for the Purple Raiders, as he went 3.0 innings in relief allowing a pair of earned runs on two hits and a hit batsman against four K's to improve to 1-0.
Isaiah Hairston (High Point, N.C.) and
Aaron Williams (Mocksville, N.C.) each launched a two-run home run in the game with the former tacking on an RBI-double.
Carter Blum (McLeansville, N.C.) and
Chase Wade (Archdale, N.C.) also had two hits apiece with Blum connecting on a two-bagger and scoring a run. Andrew Witte had three runs batted in on a triple that ended up as his lone hit across five at-bats while Alex Stegman went 3-for-6 at the dish with two runs scored, an RBI, and two steals for the guests. Nathan Grega scored twice and drove in two more across a 2-for-5 day and Jaired Lehman reached in all five of his plate appearances reaching on an error once while going 2-for-3 with a triple, two walks, and two runs scored.
The first inning came and went without any scoring, an occurrence that would only happen one other time in the game, but Mount Union got on the board in the second as Ray struggled to find the plate. A pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases with two away, and Ray came inches from from escaping, but a liner to center by Witte narrowly evaded the glove of
Devin Tonkins (Greensboro, N.C.) on his throwing-hand side, mopping up the bases in the process and putting the guests in front. Stegman plated Witte with a single into center and the Raiders led 4-0 within a blink of an eye.
Mount Union got back to work in the second with a couple of infield hits, the second being of the bunt variety. They loaded the bases with one out when Lehman rolled one over to Blum, but he did not handle the potential inning-ending double play ball cleanly. Ray induced a pop out to shallow center for the second out before Chris Viamonte hit one right through the wickets of Wade at third, allowing a pair of runs to score.
Jacob Phillips (Brown Summit, N.C.) entered and got the final out, but the Quakers trailed 6-0.
Guilford made some noise in the home half as
Adam Anderson (Gastonia, N.C.) led off with a hit. The first two outs were recorded before Hairston got ahold of a 1-0 offering and clubbed it over the wall in center for his first home run of the season. Williams and Wade reached, but were stranded.
Any momentum GC may have gained with the Hairston long ball was short lived as UMU scored single runs in the fourth and fifth against Phillips. The Quakers countered when
Michael Sumner (Mooresville, N.C.) got plunked ending Faflik's outing. Making his collegiate debut, Mauer entered against the reigning All-American Hairston who went the opposite way for a double to score Sumner with no one out, although the freshman showed composure allowing Hairston to advance no further by retiring the next three in order.
Guilford had a golden chance to make things really interesting in the seventh. Blum doubled and Sumner got drilled to open the inning for Hairston. He roped one on the ground, but it found a glove for a crucial double-play. Williams followed by hitting one over the left-center field wall, making the score 8-5, but it still felt like a bit of a missed opportunity.
The guests got two runs in the eighth and one more in the ninth to polish off the sweep to open the season.
The Quakers look to grab win number-one on Friday when they play host to Bob Jones University for the opening game of another three-game weekend set. First pitch is slated for 2:00 PM.
