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WILMINGTON, N.C. – It only took one pitch to find out how the Morehead State bats were feeling Sunday Morning. #J.D. Ashbrook# sent the game’s opening the toss over the wall in left for a lead-off home run and the Eagles withstood a ninth-inning rally from Lehigh to claim a 12-9 victory in their final game at the UNC Wilmington Hughes Brothers Challenge.
Drew Lee hit a home run from each side of the plate, one a grand slam, and
Andrew Deeds broke out of a slump by hitting a three-run bomb to lead MSU.
Ashbrook’s solo shot in the first was followed by another MSU run in the second as the Eagles took advantage of an error by Lehigh third baseman Jim McConlogue. Lucas Bainer reached first after getting hit by a pitch and then came all the way around to score on the throwing error by McConlogue on a Deeds grounder to third.
Deeds upped the Eagle lead to 5-0 in the top of the fourth when he sent Lehigh starter Cory Kent’s offering off the light pole behind the left field wall.
Taylor Davis had singled and
Michael Bottoms had doubled to set the table for Deeds. Deeds first home run of the season followed a spectacular play in the field by the sophomore from Louisville. Deeds dove to his left, snagging a one hopper off the bat of Lehigh’s Andrew Borden. Deeds then calmly got to his feet and threw out Borden for the second out of the third inning.
Lehigh got two runs back in the bottom half of the fourth, stringing together a couple seeing eye singles, a sacrifice fly, and scoring on a wild pitch to move the score to 5-2. The Mountain Hawks got another run in the fifth, once again stringing together three singles to produce a run.
MSU starter
Quentin Morgan pitched well throughout his second start of the season allowing three earned runs in 4.2 innings of work. Morgan pitched better than the three runs he allowed however as most of the six hits he allowed where not strongly hit, but found gaps in the MSU defense.
Tyler Hieneman came in to relieve Morgan, and produced his second straight good outing. The sophomore lefty pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to get the win, his first of the season. This coming after Hieneman gave up just one earned run and received a no decision in Tuesday’s loss at Louisville.
MSU broke the game open in the top of the seventh, putting five runs on the board. Lucas Bainer started the inning with a walk, Deeds followed with a single,
Austin Haney moved them both up with a sacrifice bunt, and Ashbrook was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Cameron Flynn singled to right to drive in Bainer and set the table for Lee’s third home run of the season. The senior slugger took the first pitch of Lehigh reliever Sean Killeen’s day deep over the score board in right center to make the score 10-3.
The Eagles added single runs in both the eighth and ninth. Ashbrook singled to drive in Bottoms in the eighth and Lee took the first pitch Ryan Patrick threw in the game out to left to lead off the ninth.
Lehigh made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth touching up
Cody Gibson for six runs, three of which were unearned.
Michael Fahs came in to get the final out and record the save.
The win runs MSU’s record to 4-5. The Eagles return to action Tuesday with their home opener against Kentucky at 2 p.m.
Game Notes: Drew Lee extended his hitting streak to six games. Taylor Davis is in the midst of his second four-game hitting streak. MSU scored a season high 12 runs in the game. Three of MSU’s four home runs came off the first pitch the opposing pitcher threw in the contest.
