MC Records Three Homers in DH
ATLANTA – Zach Fritts and Max Bowers hit homers in the first game of Saturday's DH to give Maryville an 8-1 win over Oglethorpe before the Scots picked up win number two by a score of 3-1 in a seven-inning affair.
The Scots now sit at 2-0 after the twin bill while the Stormy Petrels fall to 0-2.
Game 1: Maryville 8, Oglethorpe 1
After two scoreless innings for both teams, Maryville jumped out to an early lead in the top of the third. Zach Fritts was walked to start the Scots' time at-bat in the third. Max Bowers came up to the plate next and hit the first Maryville homer of the season to take an early 2-0 advantage.
Two ground outs and a flyout made the bottom of the third a quick out for the home team.
Another homer came for the Scots in the fifth courtesy of Fritts. He earned the RBI with a deep shot to right field. The next runs came in the seventh inning. A Kolton Hicks single scored Ian Campbell and Bowers to move the lead to 5-0.
Maryville tacked on three runs in the eighth inning, two earned and one unearned, which pushed the advantage even higher. MC took advantage of an error by the third baseman making the score 8-0 entering the bottom of the eighth.
Oglethorpe finally scored a run in the eighth, but it was the only offense the home team got going. The Scots took game one 8-1.
Bryce Leonhardt got the start for the Scots on the mound and tossed seven scoreless frames in the win. He recorded seven strikeouts and allowed no runs across 25 batters faced.
"Leonhardt threw really well for us in game one," said Maryville head coach Clint Helton. "He commanded the zone. I thought he had a good tempo and kept Oglethorpe off balance."
Bowers was 4-for-4 at the plate for the Scots, with a team-leading three RBI. Joining Bowers with multiple hits was Zac Graham who had two. Maryville was led in runs by Bowers and Fritts who had three each.
"Offensively, we put up 12 hits and swung the bats really well," said Helton. "Bowers almost hit the cycle which we are always happy to see."
Game 2: Maryville 3, Oglethorpe 1
Five combined hits were accumulated by the teams in the first three innings, but neither could put runs on the board.
Hicks hit a double to left field to lead off the top of the fourth for the Scots, followed by Graham reaching first on a fielding error at third. The next play saw Maryville hit a ground ball into a double play which took the batter and Hicks out on the play.
With Graham on second, Jimmy Meredith was walked by the Stormy Petrels. Facing two outs, Christian Carlton was next to bat. Carlton homered to left field to bring three runs home and take a 3-0 lead.
Both teams were scoreless again until the bottom of the sixth inning, as Oglethorpe put a run on the board. A ground-rule double placed Sam Mills on base. A ground out to second followed which gave the Stormy Petrels one out and advanced Mills to third. A double to right-center on the next play scored Mills, in the home club's only run in the seven-inning game.
Chris Arbuthnot earned the win behind six innings of work for the Scots. Grady Cash pitched the final inning for Maryville and gave up no hits or runs.
"In the second game, Arbuthnot threw the ball well," said Helton. "That's just what he does. He always gives us a chance to win.
"Cash came in and closed the door in the final inning."
The Scots saw Carlton go 1-for-2 with a run and 3 RBI, while Merideth went 1-for-2 with a run. Fritz also went 1-for-2, with Hicks going 1-for-3.
Maryville closes out the Oglethorpe series tomorrow. The Scots take on the Stormy Petrels in Atlanta with a scheduled 1:00 p.m. first pitch.
