WESTFIELD, Ind. – After being snowed out in their first seven attempts, the Spalding University baseball team finally opened the season, winning a seven inning 9-5 slug fest over Hanover. The Golden Eagles second game was called due to fog and will be resumed at a later date.
Ryan Mosby starred at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three runs scored, including a solo home run.
Blake Patterson also connected for a homer,
Brad Speek had two hits and three RBIs and Drew Beckman drove in two runs.
Kyle Olliges (1-0) earned the win on the bump, going six innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.
All of Hanover's runs came in a wild second inning that featured a walk, two hit batters, two base hits and an error. After the Panthers took a 5-0 lead on an error that brought in two runs, Olliges struck out the final two batters to end the inning.
Spalding answered immediately in the top of the third. Following a
JR Belt leadoff lineout to center,
Ryan Mosby singled to first flying down the line to beat the throw by the first baseman. Mosby then stole second, was awarded third on a balk, and scored Spalding's first run of the season racing home on a wild pitch. Back-to-back walks pushed
Nic Chafin in scoring position, and Speek followed with an RBI single sending Chafin across the plate. A
Drew Beckmann two-RBI single two batters later brought in Speek and
Kam Bruner to to make it 5-4.
Spalding crossed to plate four more times in the top of the fourth, highlighted by a game-tying leadoff solo home run from Patterson. A sharp line drive single to left by Speek brought in Belt and Mosby for the go-ahead runs to give SU a 7-5 lead. A fielder's indifference allowed Bruner to advance home before a
Korie Vire groundout ended the inning.
Olliges pitching held strong, while Mosby supplied an insurance run with his solo shot in the sixth to make the final score 9-5, and
Korie Vire pitched a clean seventh to close out the victory.
Spalding will hit the road Thursday morning for a spring break trip to Califorina. The Golden Eagles open the six day, five game trip Friday at Occidental at 3:00 p.m. EST.
