Blazers Can't Slow Down High-Octane Merchant Marine

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Elms College baseball team plated a season-high five runs but was unable to slow down a potent US Merchant Marine offense in an 11-5 loss on Monday at the Gene Cusic Classic.

The Mariners (3-0) got three hits and capitalized on two Blazer (0-6) errors in the bottom of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead, but Elms would withstand the flurry. The Blazers quickly got two runs back when Jaeden Rasmus blasted a two-run triple to center field.

Elms evened the score at 3-3 in the top of the third inning on a bases-loaded single from Josh Pasini. The Blazer momentum did not last long, however. With the bases still loaded and one out in the top of the third inning, Mariner pitcher Justus Martin induced a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play to limit the damage.

The Mariners immediately regained the lead, this time for good, in the bottom of the third. A single and stolen base from Matthew Austin, followed by a double from Reilly Cherry put the Mariners ahead 4-3. Cherry then came around to score on an Alex Mesaros single to put the Mariners ahead 5-3 and chase Elms starter Jacob Graveline.

Merchant Marine tagged freshman reliever Mickey Howe for four runs in the fourth, and picked up two unearned runs with Mason Scott on the hill in the seventh to make it 11-3. Merchant Marine has scored in double-digits in all three of its games this season.

After Josh Berthiaum and Josh Pasini each singled in the top of the eighth, Nathan Ayala drove them both home with a double to center field to cut the deficit to 11-5, but that was all the offense the Blazers could manage.

Elms tallied 11 hits in the game while the Mariners scored their 11 runs on 18 hits while capitalizing on three Blazer errors. Graveline (0-1) takes the loss for Elms while Martin picked up the win for Merchant Marine.

Elms is off on Tuesday before facing Thiel in a single game on Wednesday and Otterbein in a double-header on Thursday to wrap up the week.