The Master’s University baseball team split its twin bill against San Diego Christian Saturday, but won the three-game series.

The games were originally scheduled to be played in San Diego but recent weather made the field unplayable. So despite playing the games at Lou Herwaldt Stadium, the Mustangs were the visiting team losing the first game 6-2 but grabbing the second 4-2.

“The series win is a big blessing,” said head coach Monte Brooks. “Any time you can do that in our league is an incredible bonus.”

Game 1

The Hawks scored three in the first and two in the fourth to help them to the 6-2 win. A 3-run home run off starting pitcher Ian Mortensen was the biggest blow in the first inning.

Despite averaging close to nine hits a game, The Master’s could only muster three off SDCC pitchers.

“Their pitcher kept us off balance and prevented us from having a big inning,” Brooks said. “We had higher expectations of what we could do in that first game offensively and we didn’t meet them.”

The Mustangs (19-10, 7-8) would get one run back in the fourth off a solo shot from Austin Young. That now gives the sophomore 13 home runs on the season, which puts him No. 1 in the GSAC and tied for fifth in the country.

A Ty Beck single to left in the top of the seventh drove in Evan Banks  for TMU’s other run.

Mortensen pitched 6.0 innings giving up five earned runs on ten hits to drop his record to 4-2. Cade Walker pitched the final 2.0 innings, giving up one earned run and four hits.

Game 2

The Mustangs rebounded in the second game, scoring two in the first, one in the fourth and one in the sixth for the 4-2 win in seven innings.

Ryan Mathiesen’s double to left field scored both Ty Beck and Austin Young to start the scoring. The Hawks’ Alex Arnone tied the game in the bottom half of the first with a 2-run blast to right.

The 2-2 tie was broken by Miles Henderson in the fourth when his single to center drove in Mathiesen, who had doubled two batters before.Evan Banks led off the sixth with his ninth home run of the year, a solo shot to right to make it a 4-2 Mustangs win.

“It was good to see Evan get a big hit,” Brooks said. “This team needs Evan. He has a lot of talent. He’s got power and he’s capable of us jumping on his back and getting it done. He’s swinging better, just hasn’t executed in the games.”

J.T. Friesen got the start for The Master’s, going 6.0 innings. He gave up the two earned runs on seven hits, but also struck out seven against just one walk to up his record to 5-0. Mathiesen came in to pitch the final inning, striking out two to get his second save of the year.

“I just thought J.T. had a great gutsy performance to put us in a position to have a victory, and of course Ryan came in to shut the door,” Brooks said.

The Master’s will stay home for the next ten games, six against conference opponents and four non-conference. This Tuesday the Mustangs will host Providence Christian College at 3 p.m. in Lou Herwaldt Stadium before opening the doors to welcome Menlo next weekend for a three-game GSAC series.