The Master’s University baseball team won the first game of its Friday, March 28 doubleheader but lost the second at Lou Herwaldt Stadium in Santa Clarita.

The Mustangs (20-12, 6-8) scored 13 runs on 18 hits over the two games, while pitchers gave up 16 runs on 23 hits.

Game 1

The Mustang’s put up “crooked numbers” in each of the first four innings to defeat the Spirit 13-8.

Carson Knapp got the start, pitching 6.0 innings and only giving up one earned run on four hits. He was followed by James Coker for 1.1 innings, Ethan Schmidt for 0.2, Ty Beck for 0.1 and Michael Chung for the final 0.2.

“Carson went out and was competing from the first pitch of the game,” TMU Pitching Coach Rob Winslow said. “His splitter was working, fastball on both sides of the plate, getting weak contact and pop ups… pretty much all we could ask for. He did his job and gave us a chance to win.”

After giving up a run in the top of the first, TMU responded with two runs in the bottom of the first when Jacob Kowes’ single to right brought in Scotty Pieper and Owen Payn.

An inning later it was Austin Young delivering the big blow, a three-run home run to left to put The Master’s up 5-1. The next batter was Ty Beck who blasted a solo shot over the right-field fence to make it 6-1.

Then in the bottom of the third, Kowes stepped into the box with the bases loaded and one out. He laid down a drag bunt on the first base line that was fielded by the OUAZ first baseman, who flipped it to a covering second baseman at first. Kowes dove head first into the bag but was called out. Cason Brownell scored on the play to make it 7-1.

After a Pieper walk, Young stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. He drew a walk as well to score Zach Jenkins and pick up his fourth RBI of the game to make it 8-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, Tommy Gwinn’s bases-loaded single scored Kowes. The next batter was Kobe Katayama, whose three-run double put the Mustangs up 12-1.

“Clutch hitting,” said TMU Head Coach Monte Brooks on the first four innings of the game. “And that spread the gap there. We got great execution, got some walks (10), and had clutch hitting that drove in runs.”

After OUAZ added a run in the top of the sixth, TMU got a sac fly from Brownell in the bottom of the seventh to score Tommy Stanton to make it 13-2.

The Spirit responded in the top of the eighth with five runs, including a grand slam to pull within five, but it was not enough to catch the Mustangs.

Brownell, Jenkins and Katayama each finished with two hits in the game, with Young adding four RBI, Katayama three driven in and Kowes bringing home two.

Game 2

OUAZ scored in five of the seven innings played to take the second game 8-0.

The Spirit scored two in the first, one in the third, one in the fourth, two in the sixth and another two in the seventh to take the win.

Mustang hitters were able to bang out seven hits, all singles, but could only manage to get one base runner to third.

Gage Webster started on the bump for the Mustangs, going 5.0 innings and giving up four earned runs on seven hits but struck out nine. Robert York came on in relief for 0.1 innings, followed by Eli McInturf for 1.1 and Lucas DeSpain for 0.1.

“We were hoping Gage would keep us close, and after the first two (innings) he was really good,” Brooks said.

“He lived with his fastball and was able to command his change up,” Winslow said. “And just as Carson did, he was able to get some weak contact to a pretty good team there. He just kept attacking and trusting his stuff.”

Pieper and Kowes each picked up a pair of hits to lead TMU’s offense.

For more information visit GoMustangs.com.