By Mason Nesbitt, TMU Sports Information Director

The way the University of Saint Katherine played in its season-opening series with No. 8 Hope International last week hinted at the Firebirds’ talent.

The No. 14 Mustangs men’s baseball team got a firsthand look Thursday, falling 3-2 to St. Katherine in eight innings despite clawing back from an early two-run deficit.

The game, part of the 4-Him Classic in Phoenix, was scheduled for seven innings. So the fact that the Mustangs got it to eight said something about their resiliency after Shane Olson singled in a run in the first, and a Mustang fielding error delivered a run in the third.

Both TMU runs, in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively, came on St. Katherine errors.

The Firebirds scored the game-winner in the top of the eighth, and Master’s left the tying run at third in the bottom of the inning, cementing St. Katherine’s second win against a ranked opponent. The Firebirds won one out of three against Hope.

Preston White led TMU at the plate Thursday, going 2-for-3. Kameron Quitno was 2-for-2 with a walk.

Nate Bonsell started the game on the mound for the Mustangs, allowing one earned run on three hits over five innings.

He struck out six and walked none, but got little backing in TMU’s worst offensive game of 2018.

Master’s scored 33 runs last weekend in a three-game sweep of Marymount California University.

The Mustangs will play two games Friday as the 4-Him tournament continues. For the schedule, click here.