The W baseball team split two games on the final day of the Huntingdon College Firehouse Invitational in Montgomery, Alabama, according to team officials.
The Owls (2-1) opened the day with an 11-7 win over North Park University of Illinois. It was the first-ever meeting between the teams. MUW trailed 7-2 through five innings but rallied in the sixth and ninth innings to secure the victory.
Down by five, the Owls scored three in the sixth inning, highlighted by a wild pitch and a two-run single from Zach Johnson. In the seventh, Matthew Windham’s RBI single brought MUW within one run. The Owls then scored five runs in the ninth, including a key single from Windham and a two-run triple from Elliott Turbyfill, to secure the win. Reliever Will Carter pitched 1.2 scoreless innings to earn the victory.
In the nightcap, MUW was unable to contain unbeaten Huntingdon College, which has scored in double digits in every game this season. The Hawks led 5-3 after four innings but MUW rallied with three runs in the seventh, taking a brief lead. Baron Brack drove in a run with a single, and Zack Egan’s squeeze bunt allowed Johnson to score and Egan to reach. A passed ball then gave MUW the lead at 6-5. However, Huntingdon responded with five runs in the bottom of the seventh to win 10-6. Jay Marbutt led MUW offensively with a 3-for-5 performance, and Egan, Brack, and Marshall each had two hits. Starting pitcher Zach Connell took the loss, going 6.1 innings and allowing seven earned runs.
The team returns to play in upcoming games, seeking to improve after the tournament’s conclusion, according to team officials.
