LAKELAND, Fla. – Senior Tyler Baker launched a two-out grand slam in the fifth inning to help lift the Spring Arbor University baseball team over the University of Saint Francis (Ill.) 10-8 on Wednesday.
Trailing by two, Saint Francis (3-9) brought the go-ahead run to the plate with only one out in the bottom of the ninth, but junior Heath Sullivan retired the next two batters to end the threat and earn his second save of the season.
Even though the teams combined to tally 18 runs on the afternoon, all of them were scored in just two innings. The Cougars plated six in the top half of the fifth – highlighted by Baker's homerun – while the Saints answered immediately with four runs in the home half.
After a scoreless sixth, Baker got the scoring started for Spring Arbor again in the seventh with an RBI single. Three batters later, sophomore Christian Davis ripped a base hit to center to drive in Baker and junior Mitchel Patterson. Following a call to the bullpen, freshman Conner Lengerich greeted the new pitcher with a run scoring single to right to increase the SAU lead back to six, 10-4.
The Saints capitalized for four runs on a pair of SAU errors in the home half of the inning, however, to close the gap back to two.
Sophomore Drew Weston tossed a scoreless eighth inning, but, in the ninth, USF managed to get its first two hitters aboard. After Weston induced a fly ball for the first out, Sullivan entered and mowed down the next two Saints to seal the win.
Freshman Francisco Ondina collected three hits on the day while Baker went 2-for-4 with five RBI's, which tied his career-high. Senior Chris Wegrzyn and Lengerich also added two hits apiece.
Sophomore Robert Cleary earned the win after going 6.2 innings allowing five earned runs and striking out six. Sophomore Tyce Clement, Weston and Sullivan combined to shut out the Saints over the final 2.1 innings.
Spring Arbor (5-1) is slated for two games on Thursday, Mar. 12. The Cougars will face Saint Francis again at 12:30 p.m. followed by Warner University at 3:30 p.m.
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