AUBURNDALE, FL –
Travis Stevens provided the University of Mary baseball team a hot start offensively and on the hill as the Marauders earned a doubleheader split with Tiffin University. The Marauders captured game one 8-4 before the Dragons claimed the second contest 12-4.
Making his second start of the season, Stevens tossed five shutout innings to start the game and drove in the first run of the contest.
In the top of the first inning, Stevens ripped an opposite field single down the left field line to score
Jaxon Ford with the first run of the game.
The Marauders added a couple more in the second on a run-scoring ground out by
Jaxon Ford and an opposite field single by Ford to score the third run of the game.
Stevens made those three runs stand up with a dominant performance through the fifth inning. Working quickly and pounding the strike zone, the Las Vegas native allowed just two hits and one walk through the first 15 outs.
UMary added three seemingly unnecessary runs in the sixth that would turn out to be incredibly valuable.
Jesus Payan led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a
Darius Barlas.
Chris Scott followed with a bases-clearing double and soon scored on a Dragons defensive miscue as the Marauders doubled their lead to 6-0.
Tiffin made its move in the bottom of the sixth, plating four runs, the first two on a home run by Alex McCurry.
Will Karrer, after allowing a two-run single that allowed Tiffin to close within 6-4, closed the inning on a strikeout.
The Marauders regained two of the runs in the seven on a passed ball and a wild pitch before Karrer came back to close out the game. After picking up his first career win in the Marauders previous game, the sophomore from Sioux City, IA, retired the Dragons in order for his first career save.
Stevens finish 1-for-2 with an RBI. He was also hit by a pitch. Payan and Scott both went 2-for-3. Scott scored twice and drove in a pair of runs.
Stevens struck out five hitters and allowed just five hits, two walks and four earned runs.
Brayden Callihan was 2-for-3 with a double and a triple for the Dragons.
Just like the opener, the Marauders broke on top first. Conner Doll singled, stole second and raced home on a double by Payan, his first extra base hit with a double.
The lead was short-lived as Tiffin plated one run in the second and two in the third before taking a 7-1 lead with four in the fourth. UMary chipped away with two in the bottom of the fourth but another five runs by Tiffin in the fifth pushed the contest beyond the Marauders reach.
Payan and Barlas both went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Cody Ghents hit a solo home run for UMary in the fifth inning, the first round-tripper of the season for the Marauders.
Austin Ell pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out two hitters.
McCurry was 4-for-5 for the Dragons, scoring three times and driving home four. John Heckman hit two triples and a home run, driving in four runs and scoring twice.
The Marauders conclude their 10-game spring trip to Florida with a single game against Embry-Riddle on Friday, March 9, in Sanford, FL. First pitch is set for 11 am EST/10 am CST.
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