Raven Baseball continued its strong start to the 2021 season.
The Ravens (10-2) swept a four-game series against the Mount Marty University Lancers over the weekend.
The series opener was a 5-4 win for the Ravens. After the Lancers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, the Ravens answered with a run in the bottom of the first, then 4 runs in the bottom of the second. Jordan Williams led off the second with a solo homer to kick-start the rally.
Starting pitcher Michael Kruse allowed 2 more runs in the third inning, then held the Lancers scoreless the remainder of the game to earn the complete-game win. Kruse had five strikeouts and gave up seven hits and one walk.
Williams was 2-for-2 in the game with a walk. Daryl Myers had two hits, an RBI and a stolen base, and Michael Slaten tripled and drove in a run.
Game 2 saw a few swings of momentum as the Ravens won 14-13. The Lancers scored 5 runs in the first inning and another in the second to take an early 6-run lead.
The Ravens answered in a big way in the bottom of the third, scoring 11 runs in a single frame. Danny Favazza doubled with the bases loaded, scoring the first Ravens runs, then Jacob Pavlyak singled in two more runners. A single by Jacob Slaten scored another run, and a Lancers error allowed another run. Myers singled in a run before Michael Slaten launched a 3-run homer. After Favazza tripled, Pavlyak singled him in to close out the onslaught.
The Lancers scored once in the top of the fifth but the Ravens answered with 2 runs in the bottom of the fifth and another in the bottom of the sixth to take a 14-7 lead.
MMU put together a rally in the top of the seventh to close within 1 run, but Michael Slaten was able to get the final two outs to secure the win. Matt Piontek pitched 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and picking up two strikeouts to earn the win on the mound.
Michael Slaten, Favazza, Pavlyak and Jacob Slaten all recorded three hits in the contest, with Michael Slaten and Pavlyak each driving in 4 runs.
To kick-off Sunday's doubleheader, the Ravens took Game 3 of the series by a score of 6-3.
Starting pitcher Luke Caruthers went five innings for the Ravens, allowing 2 runs in the second inning as he picked up the win.
The potent Ravens offense made its presence known in the bottom of the third inning. Brandon Van Beceleare earned a 1-out walk and was followed by a single by Jackson Doherty and a walk by Myers to load the bases. Michael Slaten brought everyone home with an opposite-field grand slam to push the Ravens in front 4-2.
The Lancers scored a run in the top of the sixth, but Drew Piontek hit a 2-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to put the Ravens back in front by 3 runs.
Ben DeLaForest picked up the save as he sat down the Lancers in order in the seventh inning.
The Ravens completed the weekend sweep with a 10-2 win in the final game on Sunday.
Down 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth, the Ravens took the lead thanks to Jacob Slaten's 2-run home run.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Ravens added to their lead with an RBI triple by Michael Slaten and a sacrifice fly by Favazza that scored Slaten.
The Ravens put the game out of reach in the sixth inning, scoring 5 runs. Myers drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double, then Michael Slaten hit a 2-run bomb to put an exclamation point on the weekend sweep. With that home run, Slaten reached 173 career RBIs, tying him with Matthew Jarecki for the program record.
Myers and Slaten each had two hits and 3 RBIs in the win. Andrew Baier pitched five innings in relief to earn the win for the Raven. He had three strikeouts and gave up just one hit.
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