(TEMPE, AZ) The Park University Gilbert baseball team (8-12, 0-2) dropped its series-opening doubleheader Saturday afternoon, against The Master’s University Mustangs (16-4, 2-0) at Tempe Diablo Field in Tempe, Ariz.
The first-ever meeting between these two Great Southwest Athletic Conference foes led to a pair of exciting contests, that ultimately slipped away from the Buccaneers in the final innings.
Game 1 – TMU 11 Park 6
The first game of this Saturday afternoon doubleheader showcased impressive pitching efforts from both teams, as Park-Gilbert and The Master’s combined for two runs through over six innings of play.
Right-handed pitcher Hayden King started on the mound in game one for the Bucs. The junior from Surprise, Ariz., pitched six innings and threw a total of 100 pitches. King struck out eleven batters, setting a new single-game high from any Buccaneers pitcher this season.
TMU jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the 4th inning as Cason Brownell drove in a pair of runs with a single to center field. The Bucs cut the Mustangs’ lead in half in the bottom of the seventh, as third baseman Nick Miller doubled to right center bringing home designated hitter Gino Caperon.
The top of the 8th saw The Master’s bring home eight runs, while the Bucs added two runs to the scoreboard in that inning. Shortstop Joel Holguin got an RBI with a single to right field, and left fielder Eric Baratta was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the ninth, Holguin was hit by a pitch and brought base runner Ty Matts home. A double to left field from Jesh Leckey added two more runs to the scoreboard.
No errors were committed from either team, as Park totaled eight hits to TMU’s 12.
Game 2 – TMU 5 Park 4
In the final contest of this Saturday afternoon bout, the Buccaneers saw all their runs come in the second inning.
In the bottom of the second, Park-Gilbert had the bases loaded by its fourth at-bat. Starting pitcher and designated hitter Caleb Rozier was walked which brought Holguin home for the opening score. Leckey and second baseman Eric Rojo reached home off a single to center field from catcher Andrew Allanson. Ty Matts was Rozier’s courtesy runner in this inning, and Matts crossed home plate off a single from first baseman Diego Bejarano.
TMU made a five-run comeback to take the lead in the top of the fifth inning, a lead they didn’t surrender as no runs were scored from either team in the game’s final two innings.
On the mound, Rozier pitched the first three innings and recorded five strikeouts in ten at-bats and 42 total pitches. Spencer Jacobs and Sunny Patel took over in the second half of this seven-inning contest, combining for 83 pitches.
Park-Gilbert had five hits and two errors, while the Mustangs had seven hits and one error.
Up Next
The Buccaneers will look to bounce back Sunday, March 9, as they once again host The Master’s for doubleheader action at Tempe Diablo. The first game is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. MST and the second is slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. MST.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Garrett Campbell
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