The race for the post season is heating up quick. The Beavers now have only nine games remaining in the 2016 season. Currently the Blackburn is tied for third in the east division standings with Greenville College with a conference record of 7-6. With only the top two teams in each division making the post season, each game becomes intensified.
On Sunday, Blackburn hosted Iowa Wesleyan in a non-divisional doubleheader.
In game one, Blackburn struggled through the first few innings. Sloppy defense and a struggle to throw strikes lead to Iowa Wesleyan jumping ahead early 4-0.
The Beaver offense was silent in the opening game, only amassing a total of three hits.
Iowa Wesleyan tallied four more runs and cruised to an easy 8-0 win. Blackburn had a rough day defensively, committing five errors. Of the eight runs given up, only two were earned.
Shane Lewis and Matt Mokriakow were top hitters at the plate for Blackburn, each going 1-3.
Looking to turn the tides and grab a split on the day, the Beaver offense came alive in game two.
Starting in the bottom of the first, Blackburn’s first three batters reached base, bringing up sophomore Tyler Durand with the bases loaded. Durand singled to score senior Brock Hill. Then senior Aaron Moody singled to right center to score another run, bring the lead to 2-0. Junior Joey Szerletich hit a sac fly to right field that scored senior Matt Mokriakow, capping off the Beavers three-run first.
Blackburn was back at it again in the very next inning, immediately loading up the bases. Sophomore Shane Lewis stepped up to smash a single to score senior Jared Jones. Then Matt Mokriakow flew out to the shortstop in foul territory, deep enough to score sophomore Brandon Smith from third. Tyler Durand stepped to the plate again, this time to hit a sac fly of his own, extending the lead to 6-0.
Iowa Wesleyan answered in the third and fourth inning, chipping away to make it a 6-4 ballgame. But Blackburn returned the challenge after all-time hits leader and RBI leader Matt Mokriakow launched a solo blast over the left field wall to extend the lead 7-4. Then in the bottom of the sixth, the lead became 8-4 after Brandon Smith came through with an RBI single to score Joey Szerletich.
Still not cooling off, Blackburn scored four more runs in the bottom of the seventh after Aaron Moody was beaned with the bases loaded. Then sophomore Walter Jarvis doubled down the left field line, and Jared Jones hit a sac fly to center to score Moody.
Wesleyan attempted to scratch their way back into the game with two runs in the top of the eighth. But the Beavers delivered the knockout punch in the bottom of the frame with four runs to inflict the ten run rule. Tyler Durand with an RBI double, Aaron Moody with an RBI single, and Joey Szerletich with the game winning two RBI double that scored Moody from first.
Five Beavers had multi-hit games including Tyler Durand leading the charge with a 3-4 three RBI day. Szerletich and Moody each went 2-4 with three RBI’s. Mokriakow went 2-2 with a home run and two RBI’s while Shane Lewis went 2-3 with an RBI.
Starting pitcher Tyler Morgan had an impressive day of his own on the mound. The sophomore righty tossed seven innings with 12 strikeouts, tying a Blackburn College single game record.
Next weekend the Beavers have a huge three game series against divisional rival Greenville College. Game one is set for Friday, April 22nd at Greenville. First pitch at 5:00 pm.