AVE MARIA, Fla. – After suffering a 4-0 loss in the first game of Saturday's double-header against Ave Maria University, the Spring Arbor University baseball team bounced back with a 2-0 victory in the second behind a complete game shutout effort from junior Mitchel Patterson.
The win gave the Cougars the series victory and pushed their record to 2-1 on the young season. Meanwhile, the Gyrenes fell to 10-14 overall.
Still making the adjustment to facing live pitching, Spring Arbor struggled to get much going offensively in the first game, collecting just four hits. Meanwhile, Ave Maria used a two-out single to plate a run in the bottom half of the third inning before piling on two more runs in the fifth off a two-run homerun en route to handing the Cougars their first setback.
Tyler Baker, Nic Johnston, Conner Lengerich and Nick Harris all picked up hits. On the mound, Spencer Goebel tossed 4.2 innings surrendering three runs on four hits while striking out four.
In game two, Spring Arbor broke the scoreless tie with a run in the third inning on an RBI single by Baker. That run would prove to be enough support for Patterson, who was lights out in first start of the season. The junior left-hander retired the first nine batters he faced before plunking an Ave Maria player to lead off the fourth inning. Patterson would escape the inning unscathed, however, after striking out the next batter and inducing a ground ball for an inning-ending double play.
Ave Maria recorded its first hit in the fifth with a leadoff single through the right side, but Patterson would, again, get a double play to help get out of the frame.
The Cougars added an insurance run in the seventh when James Hall came around to score on a hit by Adam Rojas.
Baker led the way offensively going 2-for-3 with an RBI while Christian Davis and Francisco Ondina also registered two hits apiece. Patterson went the distance for the third time in his career and allowing just one hit while fanning a career-high six batters.
Spring Arbor returns to action against Holy Cross College on Monday, Mar. 9 at Warner University in Lake Wales, Florida. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m.
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