Baseball Falls in Back and Forth Game at Oakland City

Oakland City, Ind. - The baseball program at Thomas More fell to the Mighty Oaks of Oakland City by a 13-9 score. With the loss the Saints fall to 4-3 on the early season.

• The Mighty Oaks would take an early three run lead as they would hit a inside the park homerun to drive in all three runs.
• Sophomore outfielder Brady Baldock would get the scoring started for the Saints with a single to right field to bring in Cooper Daniels and Gavin Pearson, making the score 3-2 in favor of Oakland City. 
• In the bottom of the fifth the Mighty Oaks would score six runs off a home run and a single to bring the tally to 8-2.
• In the top of the sixth Thomas More would get a run back as Pearson would cross home plate with a throwing error to make the score 8-3.
• Brett Benzinger would then turn around and hit a home run in the next at bat to bring home Bailey Martin and himself making the score 8-5.
• In the bottom of the sixth Oakland City would add a run via a balk to increase their lead to 9-5.
• Jacob Caruso would drive a single down the third base in the top of the seventh line to score Pearson to make the score 9-6, Oaks.
• Benzinger would continue his hot streak as the junior short stop would smash his second home run of the game to tie the game at nine all after driving home Tucker Gray and Daniels.
• Oakland City would turn around and add a run in the bottom of the seventh to re-take the lead at 10-9 after seven innings of play.
• The Mighty Oaks would add three more runs to their total in the bottom of the eighth to bring the final score to 13-9, with Oakland City winning.

• Benzinger led the Saints offensively with two hits in four at bats both of which were home runs that would give him five rbi's.
• Pearson went 2-4 with three runs scored while drawing a walk.
• First-year Danny Flanigan would bat .500 on the day with a double and a single.
• Baldock went one-for-five with three runs batted in.
• Caruso would collect an rbi with one hit in four plate appearances.

• Sophomore pitcher Mason Berger pitched two innings allowing no runs on two hits with two strikeouts.
• Graduate pitcher Kyle Fieger would throw two innings allowing three total runs with only two being earned.
• Mitch Mierke would close out the game for Thomas More allowing three runs none of which were earned in one inning pitched.

• Senior Casey Nowak and Flanigan both collected the only doubles for the Saints.
• Benzinger continued to up his slugging percentage with two home runs.
• Collected 10 total hits. 

• Baseball returns to the diamond on Friday, February 18, when they play host to Trinity Christian at 12 p.m. ET at Florence Y'alls Stadium.