Baseball Splits Doubleheader at Warner

LAKE WALES, Fla. —  The Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team (11-2) played a doubleheader at Warner University (7-9) on Saturday, March 1.

Game 1 Summary:

MVNU started the first game of the day strong, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Rider Minnick hit a single that drove in Grant Wheeler, Connor Estep hit a single to left field that brought home Minnick, and Brandon Cokeley hit an RBI-single to left that scored Brady Lester. Warner scratched off a run in the bottom of the second, but MVNU responded with two runs in the top of the fourth thanks to a passed ball that scored Carter LaPata and an RBI-single from Minnick that scored Zachary Hoop.

After a Warner run in the bottom of the frame, MVNU tacked on three more runs to make the score 8-2 in the fifth inning. Cokeley smashed a two-run homer, and Hoop crossed the plate again after Grant Moore's single to right field. Warner exploded in the bottom of the fifth for seven runs and took a 9-8 lead heading into the sixth. Wheeler was the hero for MVNU in the top of the seventh, hitting a three-run bomb to give MVNU an 11-9 lead.

Austin Fox shut down the bottom of the inning for the Cougars on the mound to secure the 11-9 victory in game one. Fox was credited with the win after pitching 2.2 innings of relief. Fox gave up two earned runs, two hits, and struck out three in the win.

Game 2 Summary:

Warner's bats were hot in game two as they exploded for 18 runs off 17 hits. MVNU's offense was unable to get anything going, scoring one run off two hits in the game. Tyler Ooten produced MVNU's lone run in the top of the fourth with an RBI single to left that scored Alejandro Delgado in the 18-1 loss.

What's Next:

MVNU plays a doubleheader against Siena Heights on March 3 in Davenport, Florida at the Northeast Regional Park. Game one is set to begin at 10:15 a.m.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,100 students from 33 states and 26 foreign countries.