Nutter Fort, WV – Salem University baseball hosted Ashland University and Mansfield University over the weekend in two games each.
Game One vs. Ashland L 13 - 4
The Ashland Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a double to left center. A single to center by Brett Ehr in the second brought on across the plate for the Tigers. The Eagles answered in the third by adding two runs to extend the lead 4-1. After both teams going scoreless the next two innings, Ashland added one in the sixth, two in the seventh and six in the ninth. Going into the ninth down 13-3, pinch hitter Easy Goita homered to left center field to add the Tigers final run of the game.
Game Two vs. Mansfield L 19 – 17
Going into the bottom of the second down by three, the Tigers exploded with a seven-run inning to take the lead. Scott Kondroik led off the inning with a single to left field and later a stole base. With one out, Trey Hissam singled to center field to bring the Tigers first run in. Erh drew to walk to put runners on first and second. Luis Angarita singled to left to load the bases. After Alex Harper was hit by pitch to bring one across the plate, Kobie Carpenter doubled to center field to clear the bases and take the 5-3 lead. A single from Kondroik and a double from Goita brought in two more runs to finish the inning ahead 7-3. Mansfield answered with four of its own in the third to tie it 7-7. Going into the eighth ahead by one, the Mountaineers put up six runs and added another in the ninth. The Tigers were able to pull within two in the ninth off of a three-run homerun from Nathan Kuhn but could not take down the Mountaineers.
Game Three vs. Ashland L 10 - 4
The Eagles put up three in the first to jump out to an early lead over the Tigers. A single to left field from Kuhn brought in two for the Tigers to pull within one of the Eagles. The Eagles added two in the fifth before the Tigers forced two bases loaded walks to pull back within one. The Eagles began to pull away scoring one in the sixth, one in the seventh and three in the eight to take the 10-4 win over the Tigers.
Game Four vs. Mansfield W 9 – 7
The Tigers struck first after Conor Bardue singled to left field and Hissam doubled to center to take the 1-0 lead in the second. The Mountaineers answered in the third to tie it up, but Harper homered to right field to take back the 3-1 lead. After the Mountaineers brought one across the plate in the fourth to pull within one, a lead off triple in the fifth from Harper followed by an RBI from Carpenter put the Tigers back ahead by two. Going into the bottom of the seventh tied, The Tigers scored two. Carpenter led off with a walk and later a stolen base followed by Kondroik with a triple and Brett Graham with an RBI. A single from Blake Tablazon sparked a three-run inning for the Tigers in the eighth. Harper doubled to right field to bring Tablazon across the plate. A two out single from Graham brought two home to extend the Tiger lead 9-5. The Mountaineers hit a two run homerun in the ninth but Ben Sitarenios closed out the inning with a strike out and fly ball to secure the 9-7 victory for the Tigers.
Up Next
The Tigers will be back at home with three games next weekend, starting with Alderson Broaddus University Friday, March 4th at 1 p.m.
