GEORGETOWN, Texas — Preston Witt hit two of Southwestern's six home runs today as the Southwestern baseball team overpowered Schreiner, outscoring the Mountaineers 33-5 through two games to sweep the three-game series.
Game 1: Southwestern 18, Schreiner 0
Southwestern starting pitcher Ben Ludwig was dominant, throwing a complete-game shutout with eight strikeouts in seven innings, surrendering only three hits and one walk.
Ludwig retired Schreiner's entire lineup in order, striking out four of the Mountaineer's first nine hitters. At the same time, Southwestern put three runs on the board in the third inning, getting a two-run home run by Maxwell Mims and an RBI single from Trent Raschke, before Schreiner's leadoff hitter got a second at-bat.
For as efficient and precise as Ludwig was, the Pirate offense matched it and then some. Southwestern scored 18 runs on 20 hits, batting through its entire lineup in the fourth and sixth innings, scoring eight and seven runs.
Mims led the Pirates with four RBIs and three runs scored from the leadoff spot, hitting 3-for-5. Witt hit 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored. Jacob Tanner and Henry Fisher had three hits each, with Fisher accounting for two RBIs and three runs scored. Tanner scored twice.
In the sixth inning, Christian Matthews entered the game and belted a two-run home run. Later in the inning, left fielder Christian Melillo shook off an 0-for-4 start to hit a towering two-run blast to left field.
Game 2: Southwestern 15, Schreiner 5
Witt and Raschke finished the day in the most fitting way possible, hitting back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning to trigger the 10-run rule, with Rashke delivering the walk-off home run to finish the three-game sweep.
Schreiner started the game on a tear, scoring four runs on five hits in the first inning off Southwestern starter Carson Brown.
Gregory Ferguson replaced Brown on the mound to start the second inning, throwing four innings with one run allowed on four hits and two walks, earning his second win in as many days. Ty Elder and Luke Villarroel each pitched an inning, combining to hold Schreiner to one hit and no runs scored.
The Pirates scored tied the game with four runs in the bottom of the second inning, getting a sacrifice fly from James Vaquero to score Melillo, followed by an RBI single by Alexander Cannata. Then, Southwestern took advantage of two errors to score two more runs.
After Jet Muniz drove in Joseph DiCarlo in the third inning with a single through the left side, Witt sparked the Southwestern offense in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff home run. All nine hitters batted in the inning, scoring three runs on four hits and an error.
Schreiner unraveled in the fourth, surrendering four runs on two hits and three errors.
Fisher drove in an RBI double in the sixth, and Mims drew a walk with bases loaded to give Southwestern a 13-5 lead. Witt and Raschke ended the game in the seventh. Witt finished the day 7-for-10 with three RBIs and five runs scored. Mims hit 4-for-8 with five RBIs and four runs scored.
Southwestern improves to 13-14 with a 5-7 conference record. The Pirates will host the University of Texas at Dallas Comets on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
