By Mason Nesbitt, Sports Information Director

Nate Bonsell picked a perfect time to throw the first complete game of his Mustang career, not to mention a shutout, in Tuesday’s 4-0 victory over Bethesda University at Lou Herwaldt Stadium.

It came in the senior’s final home start in a solid two-year stint with Master’s after transferring from a NorCal community college. It also came at a critical junction of the season when the Mustangs (26-23) needed a boost.

Bonsell faced the minimum through four innings. He tossed seven innings in all, allowing five hits, striking out eight and walking one, just days after a potentially disheartening sweep at the hands of Westmont College.

Bonsell said the team’s mood was “mellow” following three losses Friday and Saturday.

“A lot of guys didn’t want to talk too much about it,” said Bonsell, who started his career at Gavilan College in Gilroy. “We wanted to stay confident in the fact that we made (next week’s Golden State Athletic Conference) tournament. We get a blank slate when that week hits.”

Junior Max Maitland said the Mustangs learned from the sweep but weren’t reading too much into it. The team certainly played loose in a wild third inning Tuesday, Maitland starting the scoring surge with a towering fly ball to left center.
The ball bounced between two Flames and caromed beyond them as Maitland scampered around to third. It was his second triple of the season and the spark to the game’s lone big inning.

Aaron Shackelford followed with a fly to left field that was dropped. Maitland scored. It was 2-0 Mustangs.

Later in the inning, Kameron Quitno laced a sinking line drive into right that bounced over the fielder’s head, scoring Shackelford and sending Quitno around to third. Ethan Brandt singled to make it 4-0 TMU.

The lead felt secure, but it never grew, the Mustangs leaving a modest five men on base and leaning on the steady left arm of Bonsell.

The senior was making his 11th start of the year, after filling that role only three times as a junior. He surpassed the 60 inning mark for the first time in his career as he used a curveball with depth and a keen change-up to keep the Flames off balance.

Bonsell induced eight groundouts and retired 12 in a row from the first inning into the fifth before Hector Rodriguez hit a ground-rule double.

Bonsell induced a groundout and a fly out to leave Rodriguez at third.

“(I was) just confident that my defense had my back,” Bonsell said of escaping the fifth inning. “And I was just going to lean on what I’d been doing the whole game: just going after (the batter). I pitched without thinking (the runner) was there. I was focused on the hitter the entire time.”

Bonsell and coach Monte Brooks talked Monday about the need for an aggressive mindset and going right after hitters. A day later, Bonsell implemented the plan.

“What I liked about Nate today was that he was aggressive and he had better rhythm,” Brooks said.

The outing — and a 10-1 win over Bethesda in Tuesday’s second game — lifted the Mustangs to a season sweep of the Flames (three games). Master’s will host Marymount California University on Wednesday (3 p.m.) before entering the GSAC tournament Monday.

Master’s will open with Hope International at 9 a.m. at Vanguard University, the tournament’s host. Bonsell feels confident the Mustangs can go on a run similar to last season, when the team won the conference tournament and advanced to the NAIA World Series.

“A lot of guys are really, really confident,” Bonsell said. “Especially the returners. I think that’s what’s going to help us.”

Pearson Good went 2-for-2 on Tuesday. Eight different Mustangs tallied a hit.