Walk-off grand slam helps Stags sweep Beavers

(Watch Menthen's walk-off grand slam)

CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps baseball team swept a three-game series with the Caltech Beavers, highlighted by a walk-off grand slam by MacKenzie Menthen (CMC) in game two at Arce Field.

CMS won game one decisively, featuring a six run eighth inning for a 17-6 victory. Sophomore Chase Eller (CMC) led CMS offensively, going 3-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Junior pitcher Sam Baughman (CMC) picked up his third win of the year with 6.1 innings of work.

Game 1 Box Score

In game two, Menthen (also the starting pitcher) drilled a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th to give CMS its fifth conference win.

Eller put the Stags on the board in the bottom of the first, and CMS added two more in the second on three hits.

Menthen struggled in the top of the third, but the Beavers only managed to score one on what was their first hit of the game.

The Stags added to their lead in the fourth thanks to a failed pickoff attempt that scored freshman Deji Andrew (HMC) and an Eller sacrifice fly to score Clemens.

Sophomore Trey Smith (CMC) made a fantastic leaping catch to end the top of the sixth when Connor Moffatt sent a hard-hit ball into left center to preserve the 5-1 advantage.

Caltech loaded the bases in the top half of the sixth and proceeded to tie the game at five on two-straight two RBI doubles.

The Stags earned their lead right back in the bottom half of the inning when Menthen doubled to left center, just over the head of the sprinting left fielder to score sophomore Alex Clemens (CMC) and Eller for a 7-5 lead. However, it did not last long as the Beavers posted three more runs on two Stags pitchers in the seventh, taking the lead for the first time in the game.

Menthen used a sacrifice fly to tie the game at eight in the eighth, and neither team was able to come through in the ninth.

In the 10th inning, Caltech scored on the Stags' second error of the game to go up by one, but CMS loaded the bases with no outs in their offensive half, leading to a walk-off grand slam from Menthen to give the Stags a thrilling 12-9 victory.

Menthen's first home run of the year wrapped up a 3-5 day with seven RBI for the senior.

Caltech's Harrison Jacobs scored two runs and went 2-4 with three RBI.

Game 2 Box Score

Menthen picked up right where he left off in game three with an RBI double as CMS posted a 3-0 lead in the first.

Clemens scored on a passed ball with the bases loaded in the second, freshman Ryan Motter (CMC) brought home a run on a single to left center and sophomore Nolan Anderson (CMC) ripped a double to the left side that scored two more to put the Stags up 7-0 early.

Freshman pitcher Nick DeGallier (CMC) and the Stags' defense had a strong first two innings as well, retiring all six batters.

A double deep to left field gave the Beavers their first run in the fourth before Caltech loaded the bases but only scored one more as a 4-6-3 double play ended the inning.

The Stags kept the offense going with a three-run fourth inning featuring RBI singles from Smith, Opperman and Andrew.

For the second inning in a row, Caltech loaded the bases but only scored one. The Beavers made it 10-4 in the sixth on a high single to the left side.

Game 3 Box Score

With the sweep, CMS improved its overall record to 8-19 with a 6-12 mark in conference play. The Stags will next embark on a three game series with Redlands April 15-16.

By Tony Steege
Sports Information Assistant

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