Ocelots fire on all cylinders and start 1-0

Myrtle Beach, SC- Schoolcraft baseball started their season 1-0 with a 11-1 victory Sunday night. Everything was firing on all cylinders for the Ocelots. Schoolcraft got plenty of production from their freshman all game long. 

Schoolcraft threatened right from the jump with #14 Landon Kempainen leading the game off with a single on the first pitch of the game. #1 Sawyer Pace followed that up with a drag bunt single and the Ocelots had runners on first and second quickly, a double play would end the Schoolcraft threat that inning. Freshman #4 Jack Zang came out firing, starting his first collegiate start with 6 straight k's. Schoolcraft got the first run of the season in the second inning when freshman #24 Andrew Thorning grounded into a fielders choice to plate #29 Noah Felder who reached base on a walk. The third inning saw the Ocelots plate another run. #50 Bryan Tuttle would plate the second run of the game with a big 2 out double. The fourth inning saw 3 more runs for the Ocelots, Thorning again would plate runs with an RBI double and Pace would follow that up with a 2RBI single. After 4 innings, Schoolcraft was leading 5-1. This seems like a repeat sentence, Schoolcraft would plate more runs in the fifth inning with Kempainen clearing the bases with a bases-loaded double. Once again, more runs in the sixth for the Ocelots, Eric Vargas would get an RBI single and Kempainen plated more runs with a 2RBI single. Pitching was dominant across the board, Cabrini got a total of 2 hits and earned 0 runs for the game. 

#4 Jack Zang finished his start with 4IP, 9K, 1R, 0ER and 0hits. #35 Luke Skaisgir would relieve Zang and follow suit. Skaisgir's final line was, 2IP, 3K, 1H, 1BB, 0R. #14 Luke Stevenson would come on to close the game, with his first outing since 2021 with rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Stevenson finished with 1IP, 2K, 1BB, 0H,0R. 

For the offense, it was a great day. Sophomore #18 Landon Kempainen led the offense with a 3-4 day including, 5 RBI's and 1 run scored. Freshman #24 Andrew Thorning was 2-3 including a double and 2 RBI's. Freshman #1 Sawyer Pace tallied 2 RBI's with a 2-4 day including a walk. The freshman train continued with #50 Bryan Tuttle also going 2-4 with a double and an RBI. 

The Ocelots are back on the diamond tomorrow, Monday, February 27, when they have a double-header against Eastern University starting at 1:30PM. Tomorrow's games will be played at Crosley Field located at the Cal Ripken Experience.