WESTFIELD, Ind. – The Manchester University baseball team opened the 2020 campaign on Sunday afternoon with a doubleheader at the Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield. Manchester opened the day with an 11-4 triumph over the Wittenberg Tigers. The Spartans were then topped by No. 8 Heidelberg 3-0 in their second game of the day.

Manchester 11, Wittenberg 4 – Box Score

The Spartans fell behind early in their 2020 season opener against the Tigers of Wittenberg University. Wittenberg scored a run in the first inning and tacked on a pair in the bottom of the third to lead 3-0.

Manchester University got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth. Brett Kron (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) singled to center, scoring Hunter Seegers (Westport, Ind./South Decatur).

Manchester tied the game at 3-3 after scoring twice more in the top of fifth inning. An error by the Tigers allowed Isaiah Knight-Neraasen to score. Joe Henschel (Huntertown, Ind./Carroll) followed with an RBI double to right.

Manchester blew the game open late on Sunday afternoon. MU took a 5-3 lead in the eighth after a clutch, two-out, two-run single by Ryan Mueller (Mason, Ohio/Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy). The Spartans then scored six times in the top of the ninth inning. Both Seegers and Knight-Neraasen led the late inning rally with a pair of RBI. Kron drove in his second run of the ballgame after hitting a single through the right side. Alex Morr (Bryan, Ohio/Bryan) drove in a run with a single to left.

4 different Spartans finished with multiple hits against the Tigers. Hunter Seegers scored three times.

On the mound, starting pitcher Austin Kresl (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) lasted 6.0 innings, giving up four hits while striking out five.

Reliever Zach White (Logansport, Ind./Logansport) scattered four hits over 3.0 innings of work. White earned the win and struck out four Tigers.

#8 Heidelberg 3, Manchester 0 – Box Score

Manchester's bats were kept in check in MU's second outing of the day against nationally ranked Heidelberg. Student Prince starter Tristan Phillips scattered four hits over 7.0 strong innings of work. He struck out 10 Spartans.

Alex Morr, Zaine Young, Brett Kron, and Michael Pinarski all had one hit apiece against Heidelberg.

Keegan Stevens (Rensselaer, Ind./Rensselaer Central) was solid on the hill in his first outing of 2020. Stevens threw 5.1 innings allowing five hits and one run. He struck out a pair of batters.

Manchester (1-1) will take on DePauw University in a four-game series next weekend in Indianapolis at Bishop Chatard High School. The Spartans and Tigers will play a doubleheader on both Saturday March 7 and Sunday March 8. Start times both days are scheduled for 12 and 3 p.m.