MOUNT VERNON, Ohio -- The Indiana Wesleyan University baseball team extended its win streak to six in a row with a doubleheader sweep on the road at Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) University today in Mount Vernon, Ohio.
The Wildcats took both ends of the doubleheader from the Cougars, which is receiving votes in the NAIA Top-25 Poll, by scores of 4-2 and 5-1.
Indiana Wesleyan (11-9-1) remains at the top of the standings in the Crossroads League with a perfect 6-0 record. University of Saint Francis (Ind.) is the only other unbeaten in the league as they swept Goshen (Ind.) College today in their first league games of the season.
The Wildcats continued to receive strong pitching as Cody Jones and Shane Bryant each tossed complete games for the victories. Jones pitched the opener and scattered 10 hits and struck out two in 7.0 innings for the win. Both runs off Jones were earned. Bryant was even better in the nightcap as he allowed one earned run off six hits in his 7.0 innings of work.
Mount Vernon Nazarene (11-6, 3-3 CL) did not lead one time on Thursday as Jones and Bryant allowed the Indiana Wesleyan offense to build early leads.
In the first inning of the opener, Jacob Murphy walked and went to second on a passed ball. He then scored on an RBI single off the bat of Quinn Nofziger for the 1-0 lead. IWU added three more runs in the second to take a 4-0 advantage. Murphy hit a bases loaded sac fly and Nofziger followed with a two-out, two run double to account for the scoring.
That was more than enough for Jones who allowed single runs in the third and sixth innings. Jones retired the first two batters in the seventh inning before the next two batters singled to put the tying run on first base. But Jones got a swinging strike three to end the game as the Wildcats won 4-2.
In the second game, Indiana Wesleyan took the lead in the third inning. Murphy and Nofziger opened the frame with back-to-back walks. Brice Davis followed with an RBI single and then Craig Dollens hit a sac fly for the 2-0 lead. Josh Ellis led the fourth inning off with a walk and he advanced to second on a sac bunt by Caleb Birkey. Murphy singled to right to advance Ellis to third but he was waved home by head coach Chad Newhard when the MVNU right fielder misplayed the ball.
Mount Vernon Nazarene scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-out double.
Indiana Wesleyan would get that run back plus another in the next half inning. Dollens and Peter Engle both hit RBI singles for the Wildcats as they took a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh. Two Cougars reached in the seventh but Bryant induced a fly ball to right field that Birkey tracked down to end the game.
Indiana Wesleyan and Mount Vernon Nazarene will face each other in another doubleheader on Saturday. This DH will take place at 2 p.m. at Wildcat Field.
