CMS Baseball Takes 5th Straight With 6-1 Victory Over Principia

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps baseball team used a two-hit, two-RBI game from Ryan Motter and 13 combined strikeouts from the pitching staff to secure its 5th consecutive victory with a 6-1 win over Principia on Tuesday at Arce Field.

CMS improved to 7-5 on the season and have won the last five games with the victory. Principia falls to 3-5 with the loss and has dropped its last four games. 

The Stags opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning with three runs on two hits including two errors by the Panthers with one runner left on base. Marco Castillo (1-for-3, 2 R, BB) singled to center field to lead off the inning and advanced to second base on a balk. 

Castillo advanced to third base on an infield single by Motter and scored on a throwing error by Aleq McMullin (L, 2-2). The error by McMullin marked one of five errors committed by the Panthers for the game. 

Later in the second inning, Carson Bridges reached on a fielder's choice that was botched by Principia and allowed Motter to touch third and come home on the misstep and put Bridges on second. Truman Miller grounded out to shortstop moving Bridges to third and then Bridges trotted home on a wild pitch to extend the Stags lead to 3-0 through two innings. 

Brandon Mitchell made his first start of the season and tossed 4.0 scoreless innings allowing three hits, walking one, and fanning seven batters in the no-decision. Cameron Cash (W, 1-1) earned the win in relief as he was brought on to complete the fifth and sixth innings and did so clean, not allowing a hit or a run, but walking one, and striking out four batters. 

In the bottom of the fourth, the Stags got on the board with one run on one hit all with two outs in the inning. Motter scored on a single to center field by Miller after he started off the inning with a walk extending the lead to 4-0 through four innings. 

CMS got back on the board in the bottom of the eighth when Motter doubled to left field scoring Castillo and Bridges flied out to center field scoring Motter. 

Principia scored its only run in the top of the ninth inning off of reliever Danny Porras. The sophomore reliever worked into and out of a jam after allowing an infield single to Will Adler (1-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB) begin the inning. Ryan Eisenauer grounded back to the pitcher but Porras could not get Adler at second and the Panthers were now threatening with two runners on and no outs. Spencer Cobb was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Alex Stamos was hit by a pitch to score the only run of the game for Principia. 

Porras then struck out Jack Adler and induced a line out from Stephen Strong to strand runners on base and clinch a 6-1 victory. Nico Mannucci tossed 2.0 scoreless innings allowing one hit and fanning one batter in relief. 

Jack Adler finished 3-for-5 to lead all batters and Strong along with Will Adler recorded the only other two hits from the Panthers batting order for the game. McMullin allowed four runs, all unearned, on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Chris Stamos tossed 4.0 relief-innings allowing two runs (earned) on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts. 

Kevin Nakahara made his way back into the starting lineup and went 1-for-3 with a stolen base, Henri Levenson finished 1-for-4, Bridges went 0-for-3, with one run scored and two RBI, Miller finished 1-for-4 with one RBI, and Motter doubled, stole a base and finished 2-for-3 with, a walk and two RBI. 

The Stags have a quick turnaround with their next game coming up tomorrow (Mar. 20) against Bowdoin at 10 a.m. from Arce Field.