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Aaron Shackelford
Aaron Shackelford’s walk-off home run in the nightcap of a doubleheader with William Jessup Saturday afternoon not only won a game and completed a sweep for The Master’s University, it also helped make history.
As soon as Shackelford’s two-run blast settled over the left field fence, Jason Karkenny became the winningest pitcher in program history. The senior righthander, who pitched a complete game in the seven-inning nightcap, recorded his second win (2-1) of the season and with it his 32nd career victory, breaking the old record set by A.J. Work (2010-13).
The 4-2 victory, coupled with the 4-1 first-game win, moved the Mustangs back to the .500 mark (10-10) overall and 4-5 in the GSAC where they sit four games behind first-place Vanguard.
Karkenny tossed a four-hitter and gave up two runs while going the distance for the second time in 2017. After spotting the Warriors two runs in the top of the first inning, he gave up two hits the rest of the way and retired 13 of the final 15 batters he faced.
Still, he needed help from Shackelford to avoid a possible no-decision and the sophomore shortstop delivered with his team-leading sixth roundtripper of the year. Going 3-4 in the nightcap, he had half the team’s hits. The second of his hits, a one-out single in the bottom of the third, initiated a two-run frame that evened the game at 2-2. He immediately stole second base, continued on to third base on a error, and trotted home when Jonah Jarrard belted a two-run homer, his first of the season, to left-center field.
The opener was less dramatic because the Mustangs jumped out early and never looked back, and starter Aaron Alexander was dominant in a complete-game performance.
After Alexander gave a preview of the rest of the game with a 1-2-3 first inning, the offense went to work in the last half of the frame. Max Maitland led off with a home run to right field and then Shackelford walked and eventually scored on a Jessup error.
The Mustangs protected that 2-0 lead until the fifth inning when they used the long ball again to tack on another run. And, it was another lead-off blast, this one off the bat of Scott Savage, who hammered his first home run of the year over the left field fence.
Two innings later, the Mustangs added their final run of the game, benefitting from a Warrior miscue. Maitland opened the seventh inning by lacing a single down the right field line, advanced to second base on a balk, and sprinted home on an error by the Warrior shortstop.
That was more than enough for Alexander, who improved to 4-1 after scattering seven hits and striking out a career-high 13. He struck out three Warriors in the fifth and eighth innings, respectively, while lowering his earned-run average to 2.12.
Following a weekend highlighted by sparkling pitching and power hitting, the Mustangs take a break from GSAC play on Tuesday when they host the University of Antelope Valley at 2:30pm at Herwaldt Stadium.
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