CMS Baseball Completes Series Sweep of George Fox with Two High-Scoring Wins

LA MIRADA, Calif. - Jack Potter and Julian Sanders each had six runs batted in during the doubleheader as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps baseball team came from behind twice to win a pair of high scoring games against George Fox on Saturday, winning the opener 11-10 and taking the second game 13-9 at Biola's Eagles Diamond.

With the sweep, CMS opens the year with a 3-0 record, after also taking the series opener yesterday 9-2. The nightcap saw Potter, Sanders and Derek Seneker each hit three-run homers for the Stags in a game that was called due to darkness in the bottom of the eighth. 

George Fox started fast in the opener, taking a 4-0 lead after the first and holding an 8-3 lead going into the bottom of the sixth, before CMS erupted for seven runs to pull ahead 10-8. Potter hit a sacrifice fly to make it 8-6, before Nick Wilson tied it with a two-run double. Sanders then broke the tie with a two-run blast to left field to put the Stags in front. 

CMS led 11-8 before George Fox threatened in the eighth and ninth. The Bruins got one back in the eighth before Sanders left two runners on with a strikeout. In the ninth, Henry Connell came on with the score 11-10 and runners on first and second. After a wild pitch moved the tying run 90 feet away, Connell got the last two outs on a pop-up and a flyout to end the game and pick up the save. 

Lucas Welch threw two strong innings of relief to get the win, striking out four and allowing just one hit, while Pieter van Wingerden threw a scoreless seventh. 

In the nightcap, CMS got all of its runs in a three-inning stretch, scoring five in the third, three in the fourth, and five in the fifth. The Bruins took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third, before Potter and Wilson had back-to-back RBI singles to make it a 3-2 game. With two outs, Seneker put one over the left field wall to give CMS a 5-3 lead. 

In the fourth, Mitchell Mashiko hit a one-out double that was followed by a walk to Tyler Shaw. Potter then took his turn at circling the bases, putting a pitch over the left field wall to push the lead to 8-3. 

George Fox rallied with a seemingly big six-run fifth to take a 9-8 lead, but CMS was undaunted and came right back with five to take the lead for good. Cade Kritsch led off with a single and stole second, before Mashiko drew a walk to put two on with nobody out. Shaw doubled to left field to plate two and put the Stags back in front, and after a Wilson walk, Sanders hit the third three-run blast of the game for CMS to make it a 13-8 game. 

Hamilton Finefrock threw 2.1 innings of one-hit relief to get the win for the Stags, while Andrew Blackett pitched a scoreless eighth to finish the game off. 

Sanders was 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI in the nightcap, while Wilson was 2-for-3 with three RBI and Potter was 2-for-5 with four RBI. Mashiko was 1-for-1 with three walks and three runs scored to help set the table for the top of the lineup. 

CMS will be back in action next weekend for another three-game home series against Lewis & Clark, which will be held at Azusa Pacific.