North Manchester, Ind. - The Manchester University Baseball team hosted Mount St. Joseph in a Saturday Doubleheader this past weekend.
The Spartans would go onto the split the series after falling in game one but bouncing back to win game two.
Game One Manchester 4, MSJ 6
Mount St Joseph got on the board in the first inning after a single, scored one run. MSJ homered to right field, scoring two runs in the top of the second.
Max Horner (Goshen, Ind., Northridge) doubled down the right field line, which helped Manchester tie the game at three in the bottom of the second.
The Spartans took the lead in the bottom of the third.
Mitchell Cobb (Pendleton, Ind., Pendleton Heights) singled, scoring one run, to give MU the advantage, 4-3.
MSJ singled to center field, which helped the Lions tie the game at four in the top of the fifth.
Ty Layson (Fort Wayne, Ind., Homestead) stepped on the mound first for Spring 2025 Manchester Spartan. The righty allowed 12 hits and four runs over seven innings, striking out two and walking three.
Cam Bortone (South Bend, Ind,, Mishawaka Marian) and
Rocco Hanes (Ossian, Ind., Norwell) were a force together in the lineup, as they each collected two hits for the Spartans while hitting back-to-back. Horner led Manchester with three runs batted in. The outfielder went 1-for-4 on the day. The Black & Gold turned three double plays in the game.
Game Two, Manchester 5, MSJ 4
It came down to the wire in Game Two, as the Spartans grabbed the victory in walk-off fashion, 5-4, over Mount St Joseph. Manchester was down 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning when
Joel Kennedy (Mooreland, Ind., Monroe Central) doubled, scoring two runs.
Rocco Hanes struck out 10 batters on the day. The starting pitcher also allowed two hits and one run over seven innings while walking four.
A solo home run to left field put MSJ on the board in the top of the second.
Vian Mariani (South Bend, Ind., John Adams) grounded into a fielder's choice, which helped the Spartans tie the game at one in the bottom of the second.
MU took the lead in the bottom of the fifth after Kennedy doubled, scoring one run, to give Manchester the upper hand, 2-1.
The Lions jumped into the lead in the top of the eighth with a single, scoring two runs, and
Quinton Black (Noblesville, Ind., Noblesville) induced Mere to hit into a fielder's choice, but one run scored.
Black appeared in relief for the Spartans and held down the Lions to help set up
Joel Kennedy's Walk off Double.
Manchester collected nine hits in the game.
Max Horner and Kennedy were a force together in the lineup, as they each collected two hits for the Spartans while hitting back-to-back. Kennedy drove the middle of the lineup, Manchester with three runs batted in. The 3-hole hitter went 2-for-4 on the day.
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