By Mason Nesbitt, Sports Information Director

The claim might have been hasty had Aaron Shackelford not backed it up.

As Shackelford returned to the dugout Friday after drilling a home run to dead center field, a teammate hollered, “He’s back.”

Saturday, Shackelford came back to Lou Herwaldt Stadium and belted a home run to right and a run-scoring double to left, leaving little doubt in a 6-4 win over visiting Arizona Christian University that the junior shortstop had found his stroke.

“It’s been a tough season so far,” said Shackelford, who’s batting average has rested well below last year’s .313 mark. “But it was a fun weekend. … I was just loose mentally and physically. I (had been) putting pressure on myself for no reason really.”

The Mustangs (16-10, 10-7 Golden State Athletic Conference) know the feeling. They entered the three-game series having scored five runs total in their previous four games. But TMU’s bats did enough damage over the weekend to spring it for two wins and 17 runs, or seven more than it managed two weeks ago in three games at Vanguard University.

Mustang Preston White doubled in the first inning Saturday before Shackelford two-hopped the wall in left center to bring him home. The Mustangs, who never trailed, scratched out a run in the second when Nick Tuttle scored from third as Ricky Sottile got caught in a pickle between first and second. Shackelford then provided insurance in the fifth with his third home run of the year, a two-run shot that made it 6-3.

Tuttle swiped four bags on the day and scored from third on a shallow fly ball to right.

“(Tuttle’s speed) puts more pressure on the pitcher,” said Mustang Max Maitland. “Basically if he gets on first base, it can be the same as a double or triple.”

On a separate – but not totally unrelated – note, Tuttle can also count. On a fly ball in the eighth inning, Maitland drifted toward the wall in center. Tuttle, the left fielder, told Maitland how many steps remained until a certain collision would ensue. At the sound of “one,” Maitland jumped and took away a home run from Michael Dunnebecke.

It was one of three special defense plays that helped the Mustangs beat the Firestorm for the 19th time in the teams’ last 22 meetings.

In the eighth, with runners at second and third and two outs, White hustled off the mound to field a chopper. Instead of what likely would have been a late throw to first, White noticed a runner sprinting home and made the tag just ahead of the plate.

In the ninth, Shackelford dove to stop a grounder up the middle, rose to his feet and threw to first for the inning’s first out. One batter later, White struck out a Firestorm hitter to end the game and earn his fifth save.

Here’s the box score.

“This was a big weekend for us,” said TMU coach Monte Brooks. “They’re all big, but having a little struggle offensively, it was nice for us to get a couple of victories. Now we’re going into a really tough week.”

Brooks was referring to a Tuesday home game against the University of Antelope Valley, ranked No. 17 in the country, and a weekend date with No. 7 William Jessup on the road.

Tuesday’s first pitch was scheduled for 2 p.m. at Lou Herwaldt Stadium.