Box Score Portsmouth, Ohio - The baseball program at Thomas More defeated the Bears of Shawnee State by a score of 11-9 in game one of their three game conference series. With the win the Saints improve to 23-14 on the year and 10-7 in MSC play.
- Senior Bailey Martin (Independence, Ky./Simon Kenton) would get the scoring started early as he would double down the right field line to score fellow senior Brett Benzinger (Taylor Mill, Ky./New Richmond) from third to take a 1-0 lead.
- Junior Jacob Caruso (Rootstown, Ohio/Rootstown) would score Gavin Pearson(Burlington, Ky./Randall K. Cooper) from third on a single to increase the lead to 2-0.
- Sophomore Brady Baldock (Burlington, Ky./St. Henry) would score Martin from third in the top of the first to grow the lead to 3-0.
- First-year AJ Enginger (Hamilton, Ohio / Badin) singled past first base to bring home Caruso from third to make the tally 4-0.
- Martin would hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the second to score Pearson to extend the lead to 5-0.
- Benzinger would put the ball in play in the top of the third to score Baldock from third for a 6-0 lead.
- Pearson would add another run in the top of the third with a single down the right field line to score Enginger for a 7-0 lead.
- Caruso would make the tally 8-0 in the top of the fourth by singling around Derek Atwood (Burlington, Ky./Conner) from third.
- Shawnee would add a run in the bottom of the fourth via a home run to make the score 8-1.
- Senior Aiden Reverman (West Chester, Ohio / Lakota West) would score on an error in the top of the seventh after Noah Weingartner (Cincinnati, Ohio / LaSalle) would put the ball in play to increase the lead back to eight.
- Martin would hit another sac fly in the top of the seventh to bring the score to 11-1 in favor of Thomas More.
- Shawnee State would attempt to make a come back by putting up eight runs in the final three innings, but the Saints would hold onto the lead.
- Pearson would leave the charge offensively with a three hit day with two doubles, two runs scored, and an rbi.
- Baldock would also collect three hits on the day with two runs scored and an rbi.
- Caruso went two-for-five at the dish with two rbi's and a run scored.
- Enginger collected two hits in four plate appearances with two runs scored and an rbi.
- Martin collected one hit in four plate appearances with three rbi's and a run scored.
- Graduate Kyle Fieger (Ft. Mitchell, Ky. / Beechwood) would get the start and would throw six innings allowing three runs on eight hits.
- Senior Mitch Mierke (Milford, Ohio/Milford) would throw two innings allowing three runs on three hits.
- First-year Austin Dennis (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) would pick up the save by pitching 2/3 innings allowing no base runners.
Thomas More will return to the diamond tomorrow, April 16 where they will play games two and three of the series against Shawnee State in Portsmouth, Ohio, first pitch is set for 12 p.m. ET.
