Coon Rapids, Minn. – The Crown baseball team swept North Central in a double-header on Friday, winning both games in seven innings. The Storm pounded out 22 hits in game one, then tacked on 12 more hits and 10 walks in game two, winning both games via the mercy rule.
Game one, despite featuring so much offense, also held a great pitching performance as
Tyler VanCise struck out 10 over five innings to earn the win. The big right hander allowed just two hits and two walks with a hit batter on the day.
Caleb Keen finished things off, allowing a run in two innings of work.
The usual suspects had great days at the plate, with
Mason Brock going 4-4 out of the leadoff spot and
Seth Betts turning in a 4-5 day.
Ashton Long reached base four times with a pair of hits and two walks and
Jack Becker went 4-5 with a team high three RBI.
Bailey Sarto scored four times and stole four bases, pacing Crown in each of those categories.
Kyle Schroedle did what he does, going deep for the eleventh time this season.
For the game Crown had 22 hits and eight stolen bases. The final for game one was 12-1.
Game two featured just as much offense, though in a bit different form as Crown used ten free passes to set the table. Uncharacteristically, Crown had just three extra-base hits, but did plenty of damage scoring 13 runs for the game.
Betts had three hits to lead the way and Brock reached four times with a pair of hits and walks, also leading the team with three RBI. Sarto scored three more runs and walked three times, crossing the plate an incredible seven times between the two games.
On the mound,
Jacob Shirley nearly went the distance, covering 6.2 innings with seven strikeouts. He allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits, two walks, and a hit batter.
Jacob Crowley came on and got a ground ball to end the game.
Crown currently sits at 10-2 in UMAC play, and control their own destiny in pursuit of a conference title. There are some non-conference games sprinkled in, but the storm play single games against North Central (tomorrow), Minnesota Morris, and Northland college before two massive three game sets with UW-Superior and Bethany Lutheran to close conference play.
