Baseball Tops Heidelberg in Extra Innings

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – The Mitchell College baseball team needed extra innings to secure a 4-3 victory over Heidelberg University on Monday afternoon at the Cusic Classic.

Peter Abate knocked in the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th inning to score Jack Finnegan, who got into scoring position with a one-out double. Reliever Bryce Bedard then retired three straight in the home half of the frame to give the Mariners their fourth straight victory.

Mitchell fell behind 1-0 in the fourth inning but tied things up in the sixth when Markus Melendez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. The Mariners then went up 2-1 in the seventh on an infield single by Garet Griffin that plated Eric Marriott.

Starting pitcher Eddie Santiago lasted 6.0 innings and allowed only one run on three hits while striking out six. He left the game with a 2-1 lead intact, although the Mitchell bullpen yielded the tying run in the eighth as Heidelberg scored a runner from third on a wild pitch.

Kyle Hartenstein doubled with one out in the ninth to set the table, and a single by Griffin put runners on the corners. The two then executed a double-steal that allowed Hartenstein to cross the plate for a 3-2 Mitchell advantage.

The Mariners almost wrapped up the game in the ninth, but Kyle Slovick gave the Student Princes new life with a two-out homer to right-center that tied the game at 3-3.

Bedard came in to record the final out of the ninth and then closed out the game, going 3.1 innings in his first outing of the year. He struck out the final two batters he faced and picked up his first win of the season.

Hartenstein and Griffin finished with three hits apiece as the Mariners tallied 13 as a team. Evan Long and Parker Fronk each had two hits to pace Heidelberg.

Mitchell (4-1 overall) continues its Florida trip with a game against DeSales University on Wednesday, March 7 at 5 p.m.