Box Score Maryville College freshman left-hander Anthony Rodriguez and the Scots' relief staff shut down Berea's bats while Hayden Hollingsworth and Johnny Carpenter did the damage at the plate to earn a double header sweep over the Mountaineers by the score of 9-3 on Saturday evening on Maryville's Campus.
A one-out double in the first inning by Ron Overstreet to left centerfield scored Josh Wilson and Ryan Blevins to give the Mountaineers a 2-0 lead off MC starter Anthony Rodriguez.
Bryce Redaja blasted his USA South league leading eighth home run as the Scots led off the bottom of the first inning. Following each team's first at-bat Berea held a 2-1 advantage.
Berea hurler Michael Smither walked the bases loaded in the third before Andrew Henry lined a sacrifice fly to score McKenzie Jackson tying the game at 2-2. A double steal sent Redaja home before Johnny Carpenter singled through the left side scoring Hayden Hollingsworth to make the score 4-2 in favor of the Scots.
MC's Rodriguez retired nine consecutive hitters before Cambridge Dacci singled to opposite field, stole second, and scampered home on a Joshua Works RBI single up the middle in the fifth.
Hayden Hollingsworth led off the bottom of the fifth with an opposite field triple to the gap. Andrew Henry promptly traded placed with Hollingsworth with back-to-back triples giving MC a 5-3 lead. Johnny Carpenter sent Henry home with an RBI single through the right side. Through five complete innings Maryville held a 6-3 advantage.
Hollingsworth continued his torrid pace at the plate with a two-RBI single in the sixth. A bases-loaded hit batter made the score 9-3 after six complete innings.
MC relievers Jordan Norton, Bleu Butcher, and Zach McGee shut out and shut down the Mountaineer bats to close the game.
Rodriguez (3-2) finished with the win on the mound after allowing four hits over six innings while striking out six. Berea's Michael Smither suffered the loss after allowing six earned runs over the first five innings.
Maryville's nine-hit offensive attack was paced by Hayden Hollingsworth (2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI) and Johnny Carpenter (2-for-4, 2 RBI).
The loss moves Berea to 9-15 while the sweep advances Maryville to 17-15.
The series will conclude on Sunday with a 1:00 first pitch on MC's Scotland Yard.
