No. 21 Scots earn second series sweep
Lyon Athletics
Matthew Jagodzinski, Assistant Athletic Director for Media and Communications
BATESVILLE – The 21st-ranked Lyon College baseball team earned its second consecutive series sweep to open up its 2020 season as the Scots defeated the University of St. Francis (Ill.), 13-3, in the series finale on Sunday morning. The Scots collected 15 hits in the win and improved to 6-0 on the year. It is the first time the Scots have opened up a season at 6-0 since 2008. USF fell to 0-3 with the loss.
Following a scoreless first inning, the Scots scored at least one run over in each of the next six innings. A pair of USF errors led to two runs in the bottom of the second inning for the Scots as an errant pickoff attempt sailed wide of the bag at third and allowed Victory Alvarez and Darius Anderson to score on the play.
USF answered back with three runs in the top of the third on a Josh Tesch three-run home run but the Scots quickly regained the lead in the bottom half of the frame. Alan West drew a one-out walk before Jake Michener got hit by a pitch to put two runners on for the Scots. Joe Weatherford laced a single to right to plate the first run of the frame before Alvarez scored another run with an RBI-bunt single.
The Scots broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth as Ryan Clack reached on an error to start the rally. Troy Strack followed with a walk as the pair moved up an extra 90-feet with a stolen base each. West drove in the pair in the next at-bat with an infield single as USF tried to throw out Strack at the plate, but the throw sailed wide and allowed West to move into scoring position. Michener followed with an infield single to short to put two runners on before Weatherford delivered an RBI-double down the left-field line. Alvarez plated another run with an RBI-groundout before Chris Lara extended the Scots’ lead to 9-3 with an RBI-single to left.
Lyon added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI-triple by West and an RBI-double by Michener.
Strack delivered a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth as the Scots walked off in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Anderson to plate Reese Chovanec for the game-winning run.
West and Michener collected three hits each to lead the Scots offensively, while Weatherford and Lara added two hits each.
West moved to 1-0 on the mound as he allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Morry Watson and Cameron Hockle added one inning of scoreless relief each.
The Scots will play their first game of a home-and-home series against Texas A&M-Texarkana on Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Fred Wann Field.