Offense stays cold in doubleheader as Baseball is swept by Stevenson

Owings Mills, MD- The Trailblazer baseball team couldn't muster up much offense as MCLA dropped a doubleheader this morning to Stevenson (MD).  The Mustangs earned a hard fought 1-0 shutout in the opener before rolling to a convincing 11-1 win in game two.

Stevenson improves to 6-2 on the season after sweeping the series.  The Trailblazers drop to 0-3 and will look to break into the win column next weekend with a non-league matchup with Mount Saint Vincent on Saturday. 

Game One-

Though two innings, it was scoreless as both starting pitchers were in control.  Stevenson would score the games lone run in the third after some sloppy play by the Trailblazers.  Stevenson's Brady Kessler singled to left to start the inning and quickly advanced to second on an MCLA miscue.  Jordan Moore reached on an error, putting two on with nobody out. 

MCLA starter Shawn James retired the next two hitters by strikeout, but a pair of passed balls allowed Kessler to score an unearned run and give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead.  From there, Stevenson starter Tyler Graham kept MCLA at bay.

He tossed a complete game and allowed just four hits on the cold morning.  He retired the last eight batters he faced to improve to 1-0 on the season.

James was the tough luck loser for MCLA as he tossed the first five frames for the Trailblazers.  He struck out 7 batters and walked three Mustangs. 

Each team mustered only four hits in the game, but Stevenson was error free while MCLA committed three costly errors.

Game Two-

In the series finale, Stevenson took charge early scoring in each of the first three frames to take a 6-0 advantage.  Alex Kidwiler doubled home two runs in the first inning to stake the hosts to an early 2-0 edge off MCLA starter Brendan Kelly.  Kessler would belt a double of his own in the second and when Zach Delong drove home another, it was 5-0 after two innings and chased Kelly.

Stevenson added a solo run in the third inning for their 6-0 edge before MCLA finally mounted a threat in the fourth.  They loaded the bases on three straight walks to open the frame, but could only scratch one run across on Jake Ferrara's sacrifice fly making it 6-1.

The score would remain that way until the bottom of the sixth inning when Stevenson would put the game out of reach with a five run uprising.  Delong doubled home two runs while Nate Perkins had a two run single.

Stevenson's Sam Downs earned the win going four innings for the hosts.   The Mustangs outhit MCLA 11-2 in the game.

Kelly was tabbed with the loss for the Trailblazers.