It was a late night for MUW Baseball, finally leaving the field around 11 PM after splitting two games with Stillman College. Game 1 was a tough loss, losing 9-5 in the full 7 innings. Game 2 was a different outcome for the Owls, winning 17-7 in 5 innings.
Game 1 (L 9-5)
Starting Game 1 for the Owls, a Junior from Mobile, AL, David Standifer put in 4 innings of work on the mound. During those innings, Standifer allowed 9 runs on 8 hits with 3 strikeouts, 3 walks, and 2 home runs. Coming in as relief in the 5th inning, Kyle Shepherd pitched the last 3 innings for MUW. Shepherd finished the game with no runs on 3 hits, 3 strikeouts, and 2 walks.
Offensively, the Owls were able to answer Stillman's run in the first inning with a hard-hit single by Hunter Harper, scoring Blake Estabrook. MUW was not able to score again until the bottom of the fourth inning when Logan Suggs came in on a wild pitch. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Hunter Harper came up big again for the Owls with a 2 RBI single, scoring Heath Ford and Blake Estabrook. The Owls' final run came off a sacrifice fly by Dane Bevell, scoring Damain Benefield. Unfortunately, that was not enough to rally against Stillman's bats in Game 1.
Game 2 (W 17-7)
Game 2 brought out Kameron Ferguson to pitch for the Owls, putting in 3 innings of work and facing 17 batters. Ferguson had 4 strikeouts, 3 walks, and 4 runs on 4 hits. In the fourth inning, Dalton Cohea entered for the Owls, facing 13 batters in 2 innings. In those 2 innings, Cohea had 3 runs on 4 hits, with 2 strikeouts and 3 walks.
MUW started off with a blast, coming in the form of a grand slam from Damain Benefield, putting the Owls up 4-1. Benefield was not alone in going yard, he was joined by Trey Petite who collected a 3 run home run in the 5th inning. Logan Suggs and Josh Tucker both collected doubles in the outing, and both went 2 for 4 at the plate. Trey Petite went 3 for 5, Joel Estabrook went 3 for 3, and Damain Benefield went 2 for 2. The Owls were also quick around the bases, with 5 stolen bases, 2 from Trey Petite, and then one for Benefield, Tucker, and Estabrook.
The Owls will be back in action in New Orleans on Friday at 4:30 PM. For more information and updates, be sure to check out owlsathletics.com