Cougars Open Series with Two Wins at Grace

WINONA LAKE, Ind. — The Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team (29-14, 22-8) open its series at Grace College (16-27, 10-20) with a pair of victories on Thursday, April 21.

Game One

A Zackary Hoop RBI-single that scored Brady Wallace got MVNU on the board first in the top of the second-inning. Leading 1-0, the Cougars exploded for six runs in the top of the fifth, extending the lead to 7-0. Andrew Miller started the big inning with an RBI-double that scored Toby Walker. Devin Pearl then hit a two-run double that brought home A. Miller and Jake Glover. Clay Cottle joined in on the fun, hitting an RBI-single to right that brought home Pearl. An RBI-single from Hoop and a sac-fly from Walker capped off the six-run inning.

The Lancers put up a fight in the sixth as they put four runs on the board. The Lancers then tacked on another run in the seventh, cutting the MVNU lead to 7-5. With the score still at 7-5 in the ninth, Cruz McFadden shut the door on the Lancer comeback attempt, picking up his 11 save of the season. Josh Pettit got the start and the win on the mound. The righty pitched six-innings and allowed four hits and four earned runs. He had six strikeouts.

Game Two

MVNU began the game with two runs in the top of the first. A. Miller capitalized and scored off of an error at shortstop, and a Cameron Miller RBI single scored Glover. Two more runs scored for the Cougars in the very next inning. Glover drove home Hogan Heck after a single to shallow center, and Walker touched home plate after Casey Kalman walked with the bases loaded. The Lancers put up a fight, scoring runs in the bottom of the second and sixth, making the score 4-2. Like game one, McFadden closed the door on the Lancers with his 12 save of the season in the 4-2 win.

Noah Gleason got the win on the mound for MVNU. The Mount Vernon product pitched 5.2 innings and allowed just five hits and two earned runs. Gleason struck-out eight on the day. With the victory, MVNU claimed sole possession of first place in the Crossroads League standings.

What’s Next

MVNU will resume the series with the Lancers in Winona Lake, Indiana on Saturday, April 23. The doubleheader begins at 2:00pm.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, and several convenient Graduate and Professional Studies locations throughout the state, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education to more than 2,200 students from 31 states and 22 countries/U.S. territories.