Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 THE BASICS
Game One Score: Emerson 5, Martin Luther 0
Game Two Score: Emerson 2, Martin Luther 1
Records: Emerson Lions (3-0); Martin Luther Knights (3-4)
Location: Winter Haven, Fl. (Chain of Lakes - Field #4)
Date: March 6, 2017
The Lead: Behind a complete game shutout performance from senior pitcher Cal Laird (Willowbrook, Ill.) in the opening game of its doubleheader against Martin Luther College, the Emerson baseball team locked up the 5-0 victory and completed the sweep with a 2-1 win over the Knights on Tuesday afternoon to extend its winning streak to three games.
GAME ONE - Emerson 5, Martin Luther 0
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Junior Neil Perry (Middleboro, Mass.) powered Emerson at the plate and went 3-for-3 with three singles, a pair of RBIs and tallied two runs of his own.
- Senior Danny Johnson (Mashpee, Mass.) also had a pair of RBIs and finished 2-for-4.
- Johnson was lights out on the mound for Emerson as he scattered four hits through seven innings and whiffed nine batters.
- Jason Lindermann, Caleb Christopher, Tom Keller and Karl Kuschel each registered a hit for Martin Luther.
- Jonathon Kock was tagged with the loss and gave up four runs through 4.1 innings with one walk and three strikeouts.
- Andrew Mantz and Noah Panzer pitched 2.2 relief innings and surrendered one run on three hits, two walks and a strikeout.
- Emerson held the 13-4 hit advantage over Martin Luther.
- The Lions left 10 runners on the bases, while the Knights left four on the bags.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Emerson's bats got going early and tacked on its first run after Perry crossed home on Johnson's RBI single to give the Lions a 1-0 lead in its half of the opening inning.
- The game embarked in a pitcher's duel between Kock and Laird as neither team were able to scratch a run across home from the second to fourth inning.
- Behind a trio of RBI singles from Perry, Johnson and junior Joey Jacobs (Concord, Mass.), Emerson got to Kock for three runs within the fifth frame and gave themselves a 4-0 cushion.
- After Mantz drew a bases loaded walk to Perry, Emerson plated its game-sealing run in the sixth after freshman Joe Paladino (Bedminster, N.J.) crossed home with the Lions fifth and final run.
- Laird put the Knights away in the bottom of the seventh on back-to-back punch outs and a fly ball to right.
GAME TWO - Emerson 2, Martin Luther 1
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Junior Pablo Feldman (Mill Valley, Calif.) finished 2-for-4 at the plate for Emerson with a double, one run scored and one RBI.
- Senior Connor Damiano (Randolph, N.J.) went 1-for-3 in the batter's box and recorded a single and one RBI.
- Matt Baehman was 1-for-3 for Martin Luther with a single and RBI.
- Freshman Jack Fox (Los Angeles, Calif.) started on the mound for Emerson and pitched four scoreless innings with two hits, one walk and struck out four.
- Sophomore Tim Mainella (Dover, N.H.) earned the win for the Lions with three relief innings and surrendered one run on three hits to match one walk and two strikeouts.
- Baehman pitched a complete game in the the loss for Martin Luther and allowed two runs (one earned) with six hits, four strikeouts and two walks.
- Emerson outhit Martin Luther, 6-5, while the Lions left six runners on bases and the Knights also left six on the bags.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Emerson and Martin Luther put up zeros through the first four frames until Baehman helped himself out with the go-ahead RBI single to give the Knights a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning.
- The Knights lead was short-lived as the Lions quickly responded in the sixth with a pair of runs to push themselves in front, 2-1.
- After Feldman doubled in Perry for the Lions first run to square the game 1-all, Damiano batted the game-winning single to plate Feldman with the second run.
- Maniella protected Emerson's 2-1 lead and shut down the Martin Luther bats through the final two frames as he sent the Knights down in order in the seventh to lock up the Lions win.
UP NEXT
- Emerson faces Cazenovia tomorrow, March 7, for an early doubleheader as the first game is slated to begin at 9:00 a.m. and the second at 12:00 p.m.
- Martin Luther returns to Minnesota after a short break and resumes action on Tuesday, March 14 in a doubleheader against Gustavas College with the first pitch slated for 2:30 p.m.
STAY LIVE WITH THE LIONS
