LaGRANGE, Ga. – The W baseball split its doubleheader versus the No. 2-ranked team in the NCAA Division III pre-season poll, Endicott College. The Owls (3-3) won the opener, 6-4, but dropped the nightcap, 10-0, in a seven-inning run-rule game, at the LaGrange College Classic.
As can be the case in the sometimes-maddening game of baseball, MUW found out that the elevator ride of emotions can be a quick trip. In the first game of the day, the Owls post a signature win, after getting to the Gulls' 2025 All-American Evan Scully for seven hits and three earned runs in his 5.0 innings of work, and 11 hits overall. Then, in game two, MUW was no-hit for the first time in school history, albeit for an abbreviated game.
The W tallied in the bottom of the first in game one, thanks to a sacrifice bunt
Zack Egan, that plated
Matthew Windham (3-4, HBP) from third for the 1-0 lead. Endicott took the lead with three earned runs off of MUW starter
Campbell McCluney in its half of the fourth.
But the fifth and sixth saw the Owls post a pair of runs in each frame. In the bottom of the fifth,
Jay Marbutt (3-4, 3 runs) came home on a fielding error by the Gulls, followed by an RBI single from
Zach Johnson (1-4) to drive home Windham, knotting the game at 3-3. In the sixth, MUW bolted ahead on RBI doubles from Marbutt and
Baron Brack (2-4) in the inning, to make it 5-3.
After Endicott got one back in the seventh, The W added some insurance in the home half of the eighth on an RBI single by
Chase Marshall (1-4) that brought home Marbutt, to make it the 6-4 final score.
Will Carter (2-0), who came on for McCluney in the sixth, got the win with 3.2 innings of three-hit, one run relief. Both McCluney and Carter had four strikeouts on their ledger for the day. Connor Reilley got the final out of the game for his first save of the season.
The second game between the teams was all about Gulls senior hurler Brady Stuart keeping the MUW bats guessing in the no-no. Marshall and
Wes Thornton each drew a walk off of Stuart, as the only Owl baserunners of the game.
Robby Canten (0-1) absorbed the loss for MUW. Canten went 3.0 innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs. He struck out four and walked three.
With the tourney taking a hiatus on Saturday due to the anticipated foul weather, The W will next face host LaGrange on Sunday (Feb. 22/2:30 p.m. CT).
