The Pioneers opened the season with 2 wins over #5 Oklahoma City and another win over #12 Bellevue.
Game 1 at #5 Oklahoma City: A 5-run top of the 4th keyed a season-opening 7-3 victory at #5 Oklahoma City on Friday. Newcomer Emilio Gonzales got the start on the hill and worked his way out of trouble in the first inning. An error, 2 hit batsmen, and a walk surrounded a double play to keep the Stars off the scoreboard, but OKC broke through in the second. A 2-out 2-run rally gave the Stars a 2-0 lead, but MNU took the lead in the fourth. With 1 out, Nelson Santiago walked and Jason Jones singled. Jeremie Gonzalez, Kelvin Perez, Lenzie Foley, and Robert Berning followed with consecutive RBI singles to give MNU a 4-2 lead. Foley scored on a passed ball to complete the 5-run inning.
In the fifth, Jordan Eckley singled, stole second, and scored on a Jones single to give MNU a 6-2 lead. Eckley's RBI double in the sixth knocked home Logan Tills, and the Stars managed just 1 more run as Zach Stinnett closed out the final 5 outs. OKC loaded the bases with 1 out in the seventh, but a 4-6-3 double play ended the threat and the game.
Emilio Gonzales (1-0) struck out 4 in 5 and a third innings for the win. And Logan Tills (1-3, R, SB, HBP), Jordan Eckley (2-4, R, 2B, RBI, SB), Nelson Santiago (1-2, 2B, 2 BB), Jason Jones (2-4, R, RBI), Jeremie Gonzalez (3-4, R, RBI), and Lenzie Foley (2-4, R, 2B, RBI) led the offense.Game 2 at #5 Oklahoma City: MNU jumped ahead with a 3-run second inning with RBIs from
Blake Robberson and
Lenzie Foley, but the Stars answered with 4 in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. In the top of the fifth, OKC led 5-3 before the Pioneers rallied. With the bases loaded, 2 outs, and a run in,
Kelvin Perez cleared the bases with a 3-run double to give MNU a 7-5 lead. The Pioneer bullpen held the Stars to 1 run in the final innings, and MNU held on to win 7-6.
Tyler Taute picked up the win in relief.
Lenzie Foley earned a save and went 1-3 (R, 2 RBI, BB, SB) at the plate. And
Logan Tills (2-4, R) and
Kelvin Perez (1-3, 2B, 3 RBI) led the offense.
Game 3 vs. #12 Bellevue: MNU earned a slugfest 15-10 victory over #12 Bellevue in the afternoon game on Saturday.
Kelvin Perez gave the Pioneers a 2-1 lead in the second with a 2-run double, but Bellevue exploded for 7 runs in the third to take an 8-2 lead.
Nelson Santiago led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot, and the offense was sparked. After singles from
Jason Jones and
Jeremie Gonzalez, Perez came through again with a 3-run homer to get MNU closer.
Jordan Eckley tripled after consecutive walks to tie the game, and
Nelson Santiago knocked in Eckley for a 9-8 lead. The offense continued to stay hot in the fifth as Gonzalez led off with a triple and Perez's 3rd straight RBI extra base hit extended the lead.
Lenzie Foley's 2-run single gave the Pioneers a 4-run lead, and
Logan Tills added another run with a single. Bellevue scored single runs in the sixth and seventh, but the Pioneers kept the lead with 2 more in their half of the sixth for a 15-10 win.
Blake Robberson earned the win in relief. And
Lenzie Foley (2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB),
Logan Tills (2-3, R, RBI, 2 BB),
Nelson Santiago (2-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB),
Jason Jones (2-4, 2 R),
Jeremie Gonzalez (2-4, 2 R, 3B), and
Kelvin Perez (4-4, 2 R, 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI, SB) had multi-hit games.
MNU is 3-0. Up next is a 4-game series at Southwestern Assemblies of God University (8-4) in Texas this weekend.
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