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WILMINGTON, N.C.--Morehead State’s bats finally woke up Saturday night as the Eagles downed Lehigh 8-4 in their third game of the Hughes Brothers Challenge on the campus of UNC Wilmington. MSU got a three-hit performance from designated hitter Taylor Davis and five different Eagles drove in runs to help end a five-game losing streak. Jeff Arnold and Hunter Hewitt combined to limit the Mountain Hawks to just four runs.
Arnold, making his second start of the season, pitched his way out of multiple jams, keeping Lehigh from turning early baserunners into big innings. However Arnold, who picked up his first win of the season, stranded seven Lehigh runners during his 6.1 innings of work. Arnold’s day included just three earned runs and five strikeouts.
A three-run bomb by Taylor Davis got the Eagles on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. The blast, Taylor’s second of the season, drove in Drew Lee and Michael Fear. Lee had singled and Fear walked, all with two outs in the inning.
Lee started another two-out rally in the fifth, this time bunting his way on. Fear followed with a frozen rope that Lehigh third baseman Jim McConlogue couldn’t handle, placing two on with two out. Davis walked to load the bases and Michael Bottoms followed with a two-run double down the left field line to give MSU a 5-3 lead. The Eagles were not done in the inning as Eric Bainer produced a double of his own that plated Davis.
Luke Bainer added an insurance run when he led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo shot deep over the left field wall. Austin Haney continued the MSU eighth with an infield single and was eventually driven in by a Lee sacrifice fly.
Hewitt continued his strong pitching to begin the year, coming in to close the final 2.2 innings of the game and earning the first save of his career. Hewitt has now appeared out of the bullpen in four games and has yet to allow a run in 5.2 innings of work.
Davis finished the game 3-4 with three RBIs to lead MSU, while Lee, Bottoms, Luke Bainer, and Eric Bainer all drove in runs.
MSU finishes the Hughes Brothers Challenge on Sunday with a rematch against Lehigh in a morning game. First pitch is set for 10 a.m.
Game Notes: Drew Lee extended his hitting streak to a season long five games. Luke Bainer extended his season long hitting streak to four games.
