Pioneers Win Via Mercy Rule

The Basics
Score: MNU 11 - San Diego Christian 6
Record: MNU (2-0) - SDCU (1-5)
Location: Gene Autry Park - Mesa, Ariz.

MESA, Ariz. - The Pioneers rallied in the middle innings to turn a 3-0 deficit into a blowout against San Diego Christian on Friday. San Diego scored 2 in the 1st and 1 in the 3rd to take a 3-0 lead, but the Pioneers turned it around in the bottom of the 3rd. With 2 outs and 1 on, Ryan Leo extended the inning with a single. Josh Torrance followed with a 2-run double, and Dionathan Cornett tied the game with an RBI single. Dawson Winter then doubled and Nathan Torres singled for 2 more runs, and MNU led 5-3. The Pioneers rallied for 3 in the 4th and 4 in the 5th to take a 9-run lead, but SDCU answered with 3 in the 6th. The Pioneers scored 2 in the 7th - highlighted by a Dionathan Cornett solo homer - to go up by 8, then rallied for 3 more in the bottom of the 8th to win via the mercy rule (some score confusion allowed the discrepancy).

Turning Point
MNU's 5-run 3rd turned a deficit into a lead.

Individual Leaders
Kalib Clark struck out 2 in 2.1 innings for the win. Logan Burbach struck out 5 in 2.2 innings of relief. And Randy Fernandez (1-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB), Brycen Sherwood (1-2, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 HBP), Joshuan Sandoval (2-6, 2B, RBI), Ryan Leo (4-6, 4 R, 2B, RBI, 3 SB), Josh Torrance (2-4, R, 2B, 5 RBI, 2 SF), Dionathan Cornett (4-4, 2 R, 2B, 4 RBI, SF), Dawson Winter (1-4, R, 2B, RBI, BB, SB), and Nathan Torres (3-4, R, 2B, RBI, BB) had big games at the plate.

Up Next
The next game is Saturday at Arizona Christian (5-0) at 7:30.