February 7, 2009

MARS HILL, N.C. - The Mars Hill baseball team swept Saturday's doubleheader against Salem International at Henderson Field.  Mars Hill won the first game by a score of 10-6 and the second game by a score of 8-3. Mars Hill improves to 4-1 overall, while Salem International falls to 0-2.

In the first game, Michael Kitt (West Islip, N.Y.) opened the scoring and crossed home plate in the bottom of the first off an error by Kevin Demattos (Cobourg, Ontario, Canada). With the Lions leading 2-0, Brandon Savoca (Riegelwood, N.C.) provided some extra breathing room in the bottom of the third inning with a two-run homerun. Savoca then doubled in the fourth inning to right field which scored Corry DiBiase (Orlando, Fla.) to make the score 5-0. Savoca would later score in the inning off a double to right field by Matt Oleski (West Seneca, N.Y.). A Michael Dobre (Pompano Beach, Fla.) two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning increased Mars Hill's lead to 7-0. The Lions would tack on three more runs before Salem International would mount a comeback in the top of the seventh inning.

Marcus Slauer (Fairmont, W.V.) got Salem International on the board with a double that scored Michel Velasquez (Caracas, Venezuela) and Paul Dilulio (New Market, Ontario, Canada). Later in the inning, after three consecutive singles, A.J. Burlington (Belleville, Ontario, Canada) hit a grand slam over the left field fence to cut the deficit to four runs. Kenneth Minor (Clinton, Md.) was unable to keep the rally going and flied out in the next at-bat to end the game.

Salem International struck first in the second game when Hector Sanchez (Caracas, Venezuela) scored off a Burlington groundout.

Mars Hill responded in the bottom of the first inning. Brian Williams (Orlando, Fla.) singled to center field and drove in Kitt and Dobre to make the score 2-1 in favor of the Lions. Four batters later, with the bases loaded, Devin Presnell (Boone, N.C.) was hit by a pitch which brought in Williams to increase Mars Hill's lead to 3-1. The Lions added two more runs, including a Savoca steal on a wild pitch, to make the score 5-1 in favor of Mars Hill.

A Kitt single to center field in the bottom of the fourth which scored Dobre increased the Lions' lead to 6-1. In the fifth inning, Oleski doubled, which drove in Savoca, and scored on a passed ball to make the score 8-1.

Salem International came back with two runs in the top of the seventh inning off a double from Velasquez, but Irving De La Concha (St. Petersburg, Fla.) lined out to end the threat.

Mars Hill will be back in action Sunday against Salem International at Henderson Field. The game will start at 1 p.m.

Boxscore...

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