[Baseball] Tigers tally 21 more runs in doubleheader sweep of Red Lions
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — After opening the 2017-18 season with a 21-run performance on Friday, the Olivet Nazarene University baseball team added 21 more runs in Saturday's doubleheader against Lincoln Christian University (Ill.). In game one the Tigers defeated the Red Lions 12-4, exploding for six runs in the second inning for the second straight game. They finally swept LCU with a 9-1 win in game three, riding a great performance on the mound by leftie Mason Sherrill (SO/Bellbrook, Ohio) who won his first career game for Olivet.
Hard-throwing Nick Campe (SR/Manteno, Ill.) started for the Tigers (3-0) against the Red Lions (0-3) in game two of the series. He went only three innings and allowed two runs while walking five and struck out four. Graham Burke (FR/Victoria, Minn.) (1-0) earned his first win in relief after pitching 2 2/3 innings and allowing two runs off three hits while walking two and striking out two. Isaiah Robles (SO/Potomac, Ill.) and Nick Morales (FR/Flint, Mich.) finished the game allowing hit apiece.
Lincoln Christian started Garrett Aeilts (0-1) who went two innings allowing six runs off two hits while walking six. Lance Warner went 3 1/3 innings allowing six runs – four earned – off six hits. Austin Sprinkle threw 2/3 inning.
Just like in Friday's game the Tigers were held scoreless in the first inning their second time to the plate ended in six runs for the home team. Four walks in the inning and two hits were all the Tigers needed but a three-RBI double by Ben Hill (SR/Grand Rapids, Mich.) scored runs four, five and six. The Red Lions got two back in the third, as they were able to use a few walks to their own advantage. Yet, the Tigers tallied three more in the bottom half off two hits. Lincoln Christian made it a 9-4 game in the fifth but three more runs in the sixth for ONU sealed the deal. Two more hits, a walk, hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice fly by Kurtis Minton (SR/Decatur, Ill.) scored Sam Kippen (SO/Syracuse, N.Y.) to make it 12-4.
In game two Mason Sherrill (1-0) started for the Tigers. He went four innings allowing four hits while only walking two and he struck out two. B.J. Bufton (SO/Grand Rapids, Mich.) threw one inning allowing one run off two hits. Alexander DeYoung (JR/Thornton, lll.) gave up one hit in the fifth inning and Chris Martinez (SR/Vista, Calif.) struck out three batters in the sixth inning.
The Red Lions started Brett Beasley (0-1), who threw 4 1/3 innings allowing all nine runs – seven hits – while giving up 11 hits. Blake Shaiper allowed one hit in 1 2/3 inning of relief.
Kurtis Minton led off the bottom of the first with a single, but he didn't score until Ben Hill hit a sacrifice fly three batters later. The second run of the inning was on a double steal by Jordan Wanner (SR/Morton, Ill.), who took home, and Sam Kippen who ended up on second. ONU made it 3-0 in the second and added four more in the third. Four singles in the inning and two of which scored two runners. Nathan Moonen (FR/Fort Wayne, Ind.) had one RBI single and Wanner had the other. The Tigers added a run in the fourth and again in the fifth when Cameron Craver (JR/Palatine, Ill.) singled so Alex Campe (SO/Manteno, Ill.) could score.
Notably, seven different Tigers made their career debuts with the Tigers today.
The Tigers will be back in action this fall when they host a three-game series against Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio) on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6-7.