Michael Sexton

The Master’s University baseball team improved to 20-18 overall (10-11 GSAC) after winning its series against San Diego Christian with a 3-0 and 8-5 doubleheader sweep of the Hawks at Lou Herwaldt Stadium.

Game 1: TMU: 3, SDCC: 0

Box Score:

The Mustangs kicked off Saturday’s twinbill with a 3-0 shutout of the Hawks.

TMU drew first blood in the bottom of the third inning when Michael Sexton drove in teammates Matt Janes and Jonah Jarrard with a one-out single to right field.

Three scoreless innings later, Sexton snapped the drought by launching a home run to right field, putting TMU up 3-0. It was the senior’s fourth roundtripper of the season.

Stingy defensive play, coupled with stellar pitching from TMU starter Aaron Alexander, kept the Hawks quiet for the rest of the game en route to the Mustangs’ victory.

Alexander (6-2) went the distance for the second time in 2017, giving up four hits and notching four strikeouts. Sexton’s championed TMU’s first-game efforts by going 3-4 and driving in all three runs.

Game 2 (7 innings): TMU: 8, SDCC: 5

Box Score:

In the seven-inning nightcap, the Hawks forged a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and third innings before TMU responded with three runs in the bottom of the third.

The Mustangs got on the board after Ryan Bricker, who led off with a walk, eventually stole home. Moments later, Sexton produced a two-run single to center field, driving home Aaron Shackelford and Jarrard to put the Mustangs ahead to stay.

An inning later, the Mustangs scored four more runs, capitalizing on three bases-loaded walks and a wild pitch to extend the advantage to 7-2 .

After the Hawks scored an unearned run in the top of the fifth inning, TMU got that one back in the last half of the frame when Jarrard’s sacrifice fly to right field plated Jason Karkenny.

Despite the Hawks posting two more runs in the top of the seventh, the Mustangs shut down any chance of a SDCC comeback and moved two games above .500 for the first time since March 11 (14-12).

Sexton went 1-3 in the nightcap and tallied two more rbi while David Sheaffer went 2-3 and drove in a run. Scott Savage (2-3) earned the win after posting five strikeouts while giving up seven hits and five runs over six innings of work.

“We had extremely good and clutch pitching today,” commented head coach Monte Brooks. “Sexton had a remarkable day. I’m very glad to have him back in the lineup.”

Next weekend, TMU will have another chance to climb in the conference standings as the Mustangs host No. 7 and first-place Menlo (12-4 in the GSAC). Friday’s game will start at 3:00 p.m. while Saturday’s opener of another doubleheader will begin at 11:00 a.m. Notably, between games of the twinbill, The Master’s University Athletic Department will honor the eight seniors on the team that have contributed both on and off the field.