Cougar Baseball Opens Spring Season with Split against Cleary

WESTFIELD, Ind. – The Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team (2-2) began its spring season on Monday, February 16 at Grand Park against Cleary University (1-1).

MVNU's first run of the spring came in the top of the first after Brady Lester's solo homer to left center. Cleary answered with a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 1-1. A big third inning from Cleary gave it the lead over MVNU. Cleary platted four runs in the inning, putting it up 5-1 over the Cougars of MVNU. Rider Minnick drove home Brennen Nichols with an RBI single to left in the top of the seventh, cutting MVNU's deficit to three runs, but the Cougars were unable to muster anything else, falling in game one by a final score of 2-5.

Just like in game one, MVNU started the game with a solo homer in the top of the first inning, this time from Alejandro Delgado. In the fourth, MVNU's offense came to life. Kaid Carpenter drove home Ryan Willougby with an RBI double to right center, Carter LaPata then singled to score Carpenter. MVNU finished the inning with a run from Andrew Moffitt, who scored from third after a wild pitch, pushing the lead to 4-0. Now with the score 4-1, Minnick came home off another wild pitch to extend MVNU's lead to 5-1. Cleary scratched off another run in the bottom of the fifth, but MVNU was able to respond in the top of the seventh, scoring two more runs. MVNU would end the day with a 7-2 victory over Cleary.

Reese Willoughby was the winning pitcher for MVNU, pitching five innings and allowing four hits and two earned runs. He had four strikeouts. Chase Storr pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just two hits to go with two strikeouts.

What's Next

MVNU will wrap up its series against Cleary on Tuesday, February 17 with a doubleheader that starts at 12:00 p.m.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,200 students from 36 states, 1 U.S. commonwealth and 41 foreign countries.