WESTMINSTER, Md. - The McDaniel College baseball pitching staff totaled 18 solid innings as the Green Terror swept a non-conference doubleheader against in-state rival Hood Saturday at Preston Field.
Offensively, McDaniel (11-6) racked up 21 hits on the day and committed just two errors to complete the sweep of the Blazers in the first meeting between the two local rivals in Westminster since 2016.
In game one,
Ryan Kelly and
Tyson Nercessian combined for eight strikeouts while giving up four hits and getting out of multiple jams in the last few innings.
Ryan Martino pitched a gem over the first seven innings of game two, giving up just one earned run in the third.
Connor Henderson came out of the bullpen for the final two innings to seal the victory.
McDaniel 8, Hood 4
The Blazers (10-6) struck first with an RBI-single in the top of the first, holding its one-run lead until the bottom of the third. With one out, freshman
Todd Calhoun singled up the middle before singles by
Joey Hubinger and
Ben Davis loaded the bases. Junior
Tyler Yohn then roped one into left field to score Calhoun and tie the game.
Jake Smith connected on a single up the middle to score Hubinger and Davis to give the Green Terror a 3-1 lead. That score held until the fifth when
Hunter Kelly ripped a three-run triple down the left field line to push the lead to five, 6-1.
After six solid innings, Kelly was relieved by Nercessian who dug himself out of a jam with two runners on and one out. He gave up just one run, ending the inning with a strikeout to preserve the five-run lead as McDaniel went on to win its fifth-straight at home.
McDaniel 8, Hood 1
After a scoreless top half of the first, Hubinger led off the bottom of the second with a single to left field before Kelly drew a walk with the bases loaded to score freshman
Ben Davis for the game's first run.
Martino ran into a bit of trouble in the top of the third with two runners on and two outs. The Blazers (10-5) took advantage, tying the game with a double in the gap to left, but Martino recovered and put out the final batter of the inning to keep the game tied at 1-1.
McDaniel retook the lead in the fifth, drawing four more walks, including back-to-back free passes with the bases load to take a 3-1 lead.
The Green Terror entered today's game ranked fifth in Division III this season with 101 walks.
Martino made quick work of the Blazers in the top of the sixth with three-straight putouts. In the bottom of the inning, McDaniel added another run on an RBI-single by
Billy Wheatley before adding two more runs on a pair of walks to increase the lead to five, 6-1.
Henderson relieved Martino in the eighth, surrendering just one hit over the final two innings
McDaniel returns to action next Saturday, March 25 at Stockton. Game one of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12 p.m.
