David Sheaffer

The Master’s University stopped a losing streak with a 13-2 blasting of Vanguard in the opener and then lost to the Lions 5-4 in the nightcap of a GSAC doubleheader played on a cool, cloudy day in Placerita Canyon.

The game-one victory put an end to a six-game losing skid, including four in a row in conference play, and after the second-game loss the Mustangs are now 6-10 overall and 1-5 in the GSAC.

The Mustangs started quickly in the opener with a run in the last of the first inning as Max Maitland laced a lead-off single to right field, moved to third base on an Aaron Shackelford single up the middle, and scored on a passed ball.

That slightest of advantages held up until the fourth when the Mustangs doubled their lead. Jason Karkenny led off the frame by being hit by a pitch, advanced to third base on Dalton deVries’ single to right field, and scored on David Sheaffer’s single, the first of his four rbi in the opener.

Meanwhile, Mustang starter Robert Winslow was keeping the Lions at bay. Making his fifth start of the season, the righthander blanked Vanguard on three hits through the first seven innings.

By that time, Winslow had three runs to work with after Sheaffer gave the Mustangs a 3-0 edge with a lead-off home run in the last of the sixth, his first long ball of the season.

The Mustangs put the game away in the seventh, scoring five times to take an 8-0 lead. Sheaffer provided the big blow with a two-run single while Karkenny and deVries had run-scoring singles. Scott Savage capped off the explosion with a sacrifice fly that plated courtesy runner Josh Robison.

Winslow (1-2) lost his shutout in the eighth but still earned his first collegiate win after allowing six hits and striking out five in an outstanding performance.

His teammates decided eight runs was not enough so they went out in the eighth and equaled their seventh-inning output with five more runs. Shackelford sparked the outburst with a lead-off homer, his team-leading fifth roundtripper of the year. Later in the inning, Savage walked with the bases loaded to make it 10-1 and then a three-run error by the Lion centerfielder plated the final runs of the frame.

Sheaffer paced the club’s best offensive performance of the season (13 runs, 14 hits) to date with a 3-4, four-rbi outing. Jonah Jarrard, in his second game back after an injury sidelined him for nine games, went 3-5 while Maitland, Shackelford, Karkenny, and deVries had two hits apiece.

The Mustangs didn’t have the same success at the plate in the nightcap but didn’t think they needed to with ace Jason Karkenny on the mound.

However, the senior righthander struggled in the top of the first, surrendering two runs on four hits to the Lions.

His teammates responded in the last half of the frame, getting both of those runs back and then adding one more. Maitland led off and reached on a Lion error, sprinted to third base on a Shackelford single, and scored on a Jarrard double. One out later, Sheaffer continued to sizzle at the plate, singling in courtesy runner Ricky Sottile and Shackelford to give the Mustangs a 3-2 lead.

Two innings later, though, the Lions got to Karkenny again, rapping out five hits in the third and scoring three times to move in front 5-3.

The Mustangs answered back in the last of the third, closing within a run on a Sheaffer double and a Ryan Bricker two-out, base hit to left field.

Then the pitching took over and the offense dried up. After the first three frames featured a combined nine runs on 15 hits, the rest of the game had no runs and just three hits to show for it.

Karkenny allowed just two hits over the final four innings en route to his first complete game of his senior season. However, his early-game difficulties cost him his first loss of the season (1-1).

Meanwhile, the Mustang offense managed just one hit over the final four innings and Lion reliever Brock Eissman retired the final nine batters he faced to save the victory for the Lions.

As he did in the first game, Sheaffer paced the Mustang offense in the nightcap, going 2-3 with two rbi.

After a day off, the Mustangs return to action on Monday when they welcome Corban of Oregon back to Lou Herwaldt Stadium for the second time in six days. Last Tuesday, the Warriors edged the Mustangs 5-4. The first pitch will be thrown at 12:30pm.