Black Knights Bounce Back With 9-5 Win

Saturday, March 18

Clinton, S.C.

2 p.m.

Army West Point

7-11

Presbyterian

10-11

Army West Point

Presbyterian

Black Knights Bounce Back With 9-5 Win

March 18, 2017 | Baseball

Box Score

Clinton, S.C. – The Army West Point baseball team took an early 3-0 lead and never looked back in a 9-5 victory over Presbyterian here Saturday afternoon.

The win comes one day after the Blue Hose blanked the Cadets 9-0 in the series opener. These two teams will meet up one last time in the rubber match on Sunday at 11 a.m. at PC's Baseball Complex.

In the opening inning, Matt Hudgins and John McCarthy singled in Kris Lindner and Baggio Saldivar to hand Army the 2-0 edge. The following inning, Tyler Giovinco added a run of his own after he led off with a triple to left center before touching home on the same play due to a throwing error.

The Blue Hose scored one run back in the bottom half of the second but the Cadets tacked on six additional runs over the next three-and-a-half innings to hold a 9-1 edge heading into the bottom of the sixth. Presbyterian closed out the contest with four unanswered runs but the deficit proved to be too much for the hosts. The Blue Hose saw their record dip to 10-11 on the year, while Army shifted its overall mark to 7-11.

Jeremy Mortensen was solid on the hill, allowing nine hits and four earned runs in his 6.2 innings of work. The junior struck out four batters during his time on the mound as well. Daniel Burggraaf then came in to record the final out of the seventh, ending a potential big Presbyterian rally. The Belfair, Wash., native gave up one hit and one earned run, after allowing a home run in the bottom of the eighth. Daniel Gibbons closed out the final two innings, giving up just one hit, while fanning two batters in his fourth appearance of the year.

Hudgins and Lindner led the Black Knights offense, recording three RBI each. Hudgins finished 3-for-5 with a run scored, while Lindner chipped in two hits and two runs in his three at bats.

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Mortensen earned his first win of the season in the game.
Gibbons pitched 2.0 innings to close things out. It was the junior's first appearance of spring break after he suffered a minor injury last week.
Hudgins and Lindner were the only Cadets with multiple hits.
Six of Army's nine starters tallied at least one hit.
Jon Rosoff notched his fifth double of the year, while Giovinco tallied his first career triple.
Lindner and Saldivar both swiped a bag in the game, while each were also hit by a pitch.
Four Blue Hose players registered two hits on the day, including doubles by Brett Auckland and Connor Slagill.
Colton Chapman hit his first home run of the season for Presbyterian in the eighth inning.
Five Blue Hose pitchers were used, while Army sent out three.
Army's pitching staff struck out seven batters in the game, while issuing just one walk.

LINEUP BREAKDOWN
     White (SS): 1-for-3 with a walk
     Rosoff (C): 1-for-4 with a run and a walk
     Lindner (2B): 2-for-3 with 3 RBI and 2 runs
     Saldivar (DH): 0-for-4 with a run
     Hudgins (DH): 3-for-5 with 3 RBI and a run
          - Lee (RF): N/A
     McCarthy (1B): 1-for-5 with an RBI
          - Hurtubise (RF): N/A
     Dickerson (LF): 0-for-3 with an RBI, a run and a walk
     Giovinco (3B): 1-for-3 with 2 runs
          - Monge (RF): 0-for-1
     Martin (RF): 0-for-4 with a run and a walk

     Mortensen (P): 6.2 innings, 9 hits, 4 earned runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
        - Burggraaf: 0.1 innings, 1 hit, 1 earned run, 1 strikeout
        - Gibbons: 2.0 innings, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts

FACTS & FIGURES

The Black Knights finished with nine hits and nine runs, while the Blue Hose posted 11 hits and five runs.
Presbyterian tallied four errors to Army's one.
The Black Knights stranded nine runners. The Blue Hose left six on base.

UP NEXT

Army and Presbyterian will play their final game of the series on Sunday at 11 a.m. The winner of that contest will win the series as it currently sits at 1-1. Live stats will be available at the start.