Baseball Opens Spring Arbor Series with Pair of Losses

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team (15-14, 7-11 CL) traveled to Spring Arbor University (15-12, 10-8 CL) on Saturday, March 28 for the first two games of the four-game set.

MVNU scored the first two runs of game one after Kaid Carpenter's double to center field in the second inning scored Ryan Willoughby. Carpenter would later score after Carter LaPata singled, giving MVNU a 2-0 lead. In the third and fourth innings, SAU scored four answered runs to take a 4-2 lead. In the top of the eighth, Willoughby's solo shot to left field cut SAU's lead to 4-3. MVNU could not find a way to score in the ninth and fell by a final score of 3-4 in game one. Jared Hurlburt had eight strikeouts through six innings pitched in his start on the mound. Hurlburt gave up five hits and four earned runs.

In game two, SAU took a one run lead in the first inning. MVNU responded with a two-run homer from Brennen Nichols in the second to take a 2-1 lead. In the next inning, MVNU took a 4-1 lead after Willoughby's double down the left field line scored Brady Lester and Willoughby later coming home to score after a fielding error by the third baseman a few at bats later. SAU scratched off a run in the bottom of the third, cutting MVNU's lead to 4-2. The Cougars of SAU used a big four-run fifth inning to take control. MVNU did not recover and would fall 4-6 in game two.

What's Next

MVNU will resume its series at Spring Arbor University on Monday, March 30. The doubleheader starts at 1:00 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.