Blue Mountain Christian University’s baseball team split a doubleheader against UT Southern on Saturday. The Toppers lost Game 2 5-3 but responded with an 8-6 win in the series finale at Topper Field, according to school officials.
In Game 2, the Firehawks took an early 2-0 lead with two runs in the third inning. Blue Mountain answered in the seventh, with Jacob Bryant hitting a two-RBI double that scored Jake Meilstrup and Gavin Foley to tie the game at 2-2. UT Southern regained the lead in the ninth, scoring three runs to go ahead 5-2. The Toppers scored once on a sacrifice fly by Ross Polizzi, but fell short.
Blue Mountain finished with nine hits in the game. Meilstrup went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, leading the team offensively. Yaidel Perez added two hits, and Bryant drove in two runs. Chris Matthews pitched a complete game but took the loss, allowing five runs on nine hits with five strikeouts.
The Toppers rallied in the series finale with an early offensive surge. They scored four runs in the second inning, highlighted by a three-run homer from Bryant. They added three more in the third, with RBI doubles from Trace Roy and Garret Lance and an RBI single from Foley, to take a 7-0 lead.
UT Southern responded with five runs in the fourth to cut the deficit to 7-5. Blue Mountain answered with an RBI single from Jarrett Morris, pushing the lead to 8-5. The Firehawks added one more run in the seventh, but the Toppers held on for the 8-6 win. The team totaled 13 hits in that game, with Roy going 4-for-4 and scoring twice. Bryant finished with a home run, three RBIs, two runs scored, and three walks.
Benji Webb earned the win on the mound, throwing seven innings, allowing six runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out 10. The victory allowed Blue Mountain to close the series on a positive note as they continue conference play in the SSAC.
