Cougar Baseball Powers Past Wolverines in Fall Opener
ROYAL OAK, Michigan — The Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team (1-0) kicked off the 2024-25 season on Friday, October 4, facing the University of Michigan-Dearborn Wolverines (1-8) at Leprechauns Stadium.
The Cougars began the fall season with a dominant offensive display, racking up 17 runs on 18 hits. MVNU triumphed over Michigan-Dearborn with a decisive 17-7 victory in the fall season opener.
Game Summary:
Brennen Nichols got things started early, scoring on a wild pitch to give MVNU a 1-0 lead, but Michigan-Dearborn responded in the third with an RBI double and sacrifice fly, making it 2-1 in their favor.
MVNU roared back in the fourth inning with a six-run rally. Connor Estep's RBI single tied the game, followed by Zackary Hoop's RBI triple to take the lead. Ryan Willoughby, Nichols with his first home run of the season, Rider Minnick, and Kaid Carpenter each added to the scoreboard, giving MVNU a 7-2 lead at the end of the inning.
Michigan-Dearborn fought back with a four-run fifth, bringing the game to a 7-6 score and tying it in the sixth on a wild pitch to make it 7-7.
MVNU retook control in the seventh with Grant Wheeler's two-RBI single, making it 9-7. Then Minnick tacked on another run with an RBI single to extend the lead to 10-7.
In the eighth and ninth innings, MVNU piled on more runs, including Hoop's two RBI single and a string of unearned runs due to Michigan-Dearborn's fielding errors, sealing the victory.
MVNU baseball will conclude its three-game series against Michigan-Dearborn on Saturday, October 5. The doubleheader at Leprechauns Stadium is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.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 2,000 students from 25 states and 11 foreign countries.