Late Rally Lifts Spartans Past Anderson
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – A late game rally by the Manchester University baseball team helped the Spartans earn a split of Wednesday’s Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against rival Anderson. The Spartans rallied with a four-run 8th inning in the opener of Wednesday’s twinbill as MU defeated Anderson 6-5. The Ravens were able to clip Manchester in extra innings in the second game of the day, winning 6-5 in 10 innings.
Spartan Stats
Manchester would lead 2-0 in the early portion of the opening game on Wednesday following an RBI single by Jared Holley (Wabash, Ind./Wabash) and RBI ground out by Vian Mariani (South Bend, Ind./Adams).
The visiting Ravens would go in front 3-2 in the 6th inning after Rene Casas Jr. launched a three-run home run to right center.
Trailing 5-2, the Black & Gold pieced together a rally in the 8th inning. Mariani picked up his second RBI of the game after his infield single was able to score Brady Perez (Rochester, Ind./Rochester) from third. Pinch hitter Paul Barrow (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North) hit a clutch triple off the wall in right that scored a pair. Mitchell Baker (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) capped off the rally with a go-ahead single to right that put the Spartans ahead 6-5.
Austin Kresl (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) worked a perfect 9th inning for his third save of the season.
Jared Holley led the Manchester offense with three hits and two runs scored. Rocca Hanes (Ossian, Ind./Norwell) added a pair of hits in the opener.
In the second game of the day Manchester once again jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. A wild pitch plated a run in the 1st inning and then Aidan Stevens (Rensselaer, Ind./Rensselaer Central) added an RBI single in the 3rd.
The Black & Gold extended its lead to 5-0 after an RBI single by Stevens and a two-run double by Harrison Pittsford (Ellettsville, Ind./Edgewood) in the 5th.
The Ravens would tie the game at 5-5 in the 8th inning. After neither side was able to push over a decisive run, the game moved into extra innings.
Anderson scored a single run in the 10th to grab a 6-5. The Spartans were unable to rally in the home half of the inning.
Both Mitchell Baker and Aidan Stevens collected three hits in the second game of the afternoon. Stevens and Harrison Pittsford both had two RBI.
Up Next
Manchester will conclude the 2022 season on Saturday May 7 with a final home doubleheader against the Earlham College Quakers.
Game time from Gratz Field is scheduled for 12 p.m.
The baseball program will also honor its senior class on Saturday.
