PORTSMOUTH, Ohio -- Every good team needs a good glue guy.
As an individual who can play at multiple infield positions and has played at second base and first base as a key starting piece throughout his time at Shawnee State, senior infielder Hunter Warner is definitely the definition of that type of guy.
So it was only fitting that Warner -- who is known by his teammates as 'Pudge' -- got an opportunity to seal a comeback victory in grand fashion.
Despite dropping Saturday's opener to the Oakland City Mighty Oaks' baseball program by a 14-3 margin in seven innings and falling behind by a 7-1 count in Game 2 to Oakland City, Rob Ehlers' crew showcased the grittiness that it has come to be known for in Saturday's series-concluding matchup as Shawnee State rallied for eight unanswered runs, with Hunter's two-run no-doubt blast to left field sealing a come-from-behind 9-7 win in the series finale as the Shawnee State baseball program capped the weekend on a high note in a Saturday split of a River States Conference doubleheader that was held at Branch Rickey Park in Portsmouth.
Game 3 Summary
In Shawnee State's thrilling come-from-behind triumph, the Bears received four additional home runs -- one each from Warner, Diego Mendoza, Jace Parnin, and Nolan Tressler -- in a contest where the Bears finished with 10 hits as a team in the win.
Over the course of the weekend, Mendoza ultimately blasted three home runs across the series -- including a three-run bomb in the fifth inning of the rally -- while Tressler and Warner each went yard in the seventh and final stanza to help Shawnee State close out Saturday evening's wild affair. Shawnee State scored seven of its nine runs in Game 3 with two outs on its back.
Game 3 Highlights
Despite dropping the second affair by a 14-3 margin, the Bears showed serious gumption in Game 2.
Outside of Parnin's second inning home run in Game 2, Shawnee State wasn't able to generate a great deal of offensive firepower through the opening four frames of action as the Bears were held to one additional hit over the opening four frames of play outside of Parnin's solo shot.
However, despite a pair of solo home runs by Oakland City in the fifth frame, Shawnee State came back in the bottom half of the fifth.
Down to their final out of the fifth frame, a single by Tyler Lund and a walk by Nolan Tressler put two SSU baserunners on with two gone in the bottom half of the fifth -- setting the table for a Eli Jones RBI single that drove in Lund. The next batter, Mendoza, then cleared the bases by powering a three-run home run over the left field fence -- closing the 7-1 Oakland City lead to a 7-5 gap after five innings of work.
Continuing the theme of coming up large with two men gone in the frame, Shawnee State responded again with another big tally. Following a leadoff double by Hunter Warner, Shawnee State freshman pinch hitter Wyatt Haupt came up large as Haupt's single to the outfield brought in Warner -- as Shawnee State closed Oakland City's advantage to a 7-6 margin heading into the final frame of play.
With the lineup rotated back to the top of the order and the momentum at Shawnee State's back in the seventh inning, the Bears ultimately came through.
Tressler, a .392 hitter for the season who continues to enjoy a stout campaign, drilled his fifth home run of the season to tie Parnin and Warner for the team lead in that category -- and tie Game 3 matters against Oakland City -- with his straightaway shot to center field.
That tie -- in both the home run category and the game's affairs in general -- would last just three more batters.
Following Tressler's homer, Eli Jones shot a one-hop single to left field before Oakland City was able to retire the next two batters in the order on a flyout and a groundout, respectively.
However, Warner's crank changed all that.
On the 260th and final pitch of the game between both teams, Warner timed up a pitch from Oakland City's Kendric Sorgius perfectly and blasted the ball well over the left field fence for his team-best sixth home run of the year -- firing the bat in celebration while being swarmed by his teammates upon crossing home plate in the thrilling come-from-behind triumph.
For the contest, Warner (2-for-3, walk, double, home run, two RBI, two runs scored), Lund (2-for-3, run scored) and Jones (2-for-3, walk, RBI, run scored) all reached the multi-hit column, while Tressler (1-for-3, walk, home run, RBI, two runs scored), Parnin (1-for-3, home run, RBI, run scored), Mendoza (1-for-4, home run, three RBI, run scored) and Haupt (1-for-1, RBI) all reached the hit column in the finale as well.
Additional
With the series-ending victory Saturday evening, Shawnee State (17-10, 7-5 River States Conference) now holds firm control of third place in the RSC Standings.
The Bears will be back in action Friday, March 28 and Saturday, March 29 when Shawnee State plays a three-game set at West Virginia Tech -- with Friday's opener slated for a 3 p.m. first pitch and Saturday's doubleheader set to roll at 12 p.m. at Linda K. Epling Stadium in Beckley, W. Va.
