The Pioneer baseball team traveled to Tennessee over the weekend and split a 4-game series vs. Freed-Hardeman University. In game 1, junior right-hander
Keith Staton struck out 6 and allowed 6 hits and 3 runs in a complete-game victory. The game was decided in the 5th inning with MNU leading 3-2; catcher Dave Staton drilled a 2-run homer to extend the lead, and twin brother Keith made it stand up for the first victory of the young season.
Cody Fuqua (2-5, 2 2B, RBI), Dave Staton (2-4, R, HR, 3 RBI), and
Darrell Huffman (2-3, R, 3B, RBI) had multi-hit games for MNU.
In game 2, lefty
Harrison Helms struggled in the first inning, allowing 3 earned runs. Helms righted the ship and completed the game, but the Pioneer offense managed just 2 hits and the team fell 4-0.
In game 3, Freed-Hardeman exploded for 11 runs and won 11-1. But the Pioneers bounced back in game 4. FHU scored 3 unearned runs in the bottom of the 1st inning, but the Pioneers answered right back with 3 runs on 4 hits in the top of the second to tie the game. FHU kept the hammer down with 3 more runs in the next 2 innings, but MNU tied it again in the 4th. Sophmore righty
Ben Alison took the mound in the bottom of the 4th and got out of a jam with no runs scoring. The Pioneers took the lead for good in the top of the 5th when
Cody Fuqua walked, stole second, advanced to 3rd on a groundout, and scored on another groundout. Alison pitched the rest of the game and allowed just two hits to pick up the win.
Cody Fuqua (2-3, 2 R, RBI, BB, 2 SB) led the offense.
The Pioneers are 2-4. The next game is the home opener of the new stadium, a double-header scheduled for Wednesday the 17th vs. Friends University at 1:00 PM.
