Walk-off Wins Help Cougars Take Three of Four from IWU

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio. —  The Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team (27-15, 15-13 CL) hosted the Indiana Wesleyan University Wildcats (23-13, 18-10 CL) to conclude the series with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 12, at Cougar Baseball Field. In addition, the teams resumed the suspended game two, picking up from the top of the 13th inning before the scheduled doubleheader.

Game 2 Summary:

Game two went to the top of the 13th inning where the game was suspended due to the lack of light. It picked back up on the second day of the series. In the bottom of the 13th inning, Grant Wheeler reached first on an error by the IWU third baseman, allowing Kaid Carpenter to cross the plate for the unearned run, sealing a 1-0 walk-off win for MVNU.

Jared Hurlburt got the start for the Cougars, delivering a dominant shutout. He just allowed six hits over nine scoreless innings, striking out 11 without issuing a walk. Maxwell Donawa was strong out of the bullpen, tossing three hitless frames in relief with two strikeouts and no walks. Reese Willoughby secured the win for MVNU, pitching a perfect inning with three strikeouts and no walks.

Game 3 Summary:

IWU came out strong in game three, building a 6-1 lead over MVNU heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.

Brady Lester and Carpenter got MVNU going in the bottom of the fourth inning with three total RBIs to make the score 6-4, IWU. In the fifth, Rider Minnick and Ryan Willoughby drove in three more to take a 7-6 lead. In the bottom of the seventh Lester flied out to CF, scoring Wheeler, and Willoughby singled to right field scoring Moore to put MVNU up 9-6. Moore later tripled in the bottom of the eighth, providing MVNU with two more insurance runs. MVNU won game three by a final score of 11-6.

Armando Gonzalez earned the win in game three. The righty surrendered five hits and zero runs over four innings, striking out four and walking one.

Game 4 Summary:

IWU opened the scoring in the first with a single to right that brought in the game's first run. MVNU responded in the bottom half, tying it up on a Lester RBI single to score Minnick.

In the second inning, MVNU grabbed the lead with a solo home run to center from Carpenter. However, Indiana Wesleyan answered in the third with a double to center that tied the game, followed by a triple to right that pushed them ahead 3-2.

The Cougars evened the score in the sixth on a fielder's choice, scoring the runner from third and knotting the game at 3-3. Lester delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to break the tie, giving MVNU its second walk-off win of the day with a 4-3 victory over IWU.

Caden Conn earned the win, allowing one hit and zero runs over three innings in relief.

What's Next:

The Cougars will face off against Goshen College on the road on Wednesday, April 16. The first game starts at 2:00 p.m. in Goshen, Indiana.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,100 students from 33 states and 26 foreign countries.