MOBILE, Ala. – In its first road games of the season, the Martin Methodist Baseball team sprung for a pair of victories versus No. 18 University of Mobile (Ala.) Friday afternoon.
The contests marked the first road ballgames of the season for the RedHawks (15-6, 3-2 SSAC) after 19 straight home contests to start the year.
The wins gave the RedHawks their first SSAC series victory of the season after they dropped 2-of-3 to Blue Mountain (Miss.) last weekend at Bobby Walker Field.
The series victory marked the RedHawks first-ever series win at Mobile, with Saturday's finale still to play.
The teams return to action at 1 p.m. to close out the three-game set.
GAME ONE
Martin Methodist 5, Mobile (Ala.) 3 (10 Innings):
Riley Phillips cranked his second home run of the ballgame in the top of the 10th inning as the RedHawks rallied for a 5-3 extra-innings victory in the first game of the series.
The go-ahead homer capped a career day for Phillips, who also blasted a two-run shot in the top of the seventh to tie the ballgame at 3-3. Phillips finished the contest 2-for-4 with four of the five RedHawk RBIs. The home runs were the first of the season for Phillips, who cranked two all of last season.
Teammate Trevor McKinley added a big fly of his own in the top of the sixth. McKinley added a double to also finish the ballgame 2-for-4 at the plate.
The RedHawks fell behind by the three-run margin after they allowed the Rams to score two runs in the second and another in the bottom of the second.
RedHawk starter Caleb Brewer allowed eight hits and three earned runs across six innings of work before he gave the ball to reliever Matt Westberry.
Westberry kept the contest tied for three innings, before he recorded the final three outs in the 10th to pick up the win (3-0).
Mobile starter Kyle Friday allowed five hits and three earned runs in seven innings of work. Bradley Jarvis tossed a clean inning of work before giving way to Hunter Avery, who suffered the loss (0-2). The two earned runs were the first surrendered by Avery since his first outing of the season back on Feb. 1.
The win marked the first victory for the RedHawks at Mobile since a 5-1 win back on April 19, 2014.
GAME TWO
Martin Methodist 4, Mobile (Ala.) 3:
The RedHawks again relied on the long ball to defeat the Rams in the second contest of the day as Tyler Robb cranked a solo home run in the second inning and blasted a two-run homer in the fourth.
The three runs were crucial, but JD Isbell's one-out single in the top of the fifth eventually proved to be the game-winning run as the Rams threatened in the bottom of the sixth with two runs of their own to pull within striking distance.
But reliever Matt Westberry, who had already picked up the win in the first ballgame after four innings of work, nailed the door shut in the bottom of the seventh for his fifth save of the year.
Zach Rowe picked up the win (4-2) and allowed just three hits until a shaky sixth inning, where he allowed Mobile's final two runs. For the ballgame, the starter lasted 5.2 innings with just 2-of-3 runs being earned. Rowe struck out five batters before his departure.
Rams starter Taylor Jordan allowed all four runs – the most runs surrendered in his six starts this season – in the loss (4-1).
Robb finished the ballgame 3-for-3 at the plate with a one-out double in the sixth before being stranded at second. Kenneth Embrey and Trevor McKinley added doubles as the RedHawks collected seven hits in the win.
