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‘Stangs hawk-block Laurier in home-opener

Excited fans filled Labatt Memorial Park on Friday as the Mustangs baseball team took on the Laurier Golden Hawks for a doubleheader.

The defending Ontario University Athletics champions proved they’re still the team to beat, sweeping the Hawks and improving their record to an impressive 5-1.

Mustangs starting pitcher Andrew Bergman was solid, throwing for eight innings and maintaining his composure as he pitched his way out of a loaded base jam in the second.

Despite a shaky start, Mustangs head coach Mike Lumley felt Bergman had an excellent game.

“Laurier has always been a tough team,” he said. “[Bergman] struggled in the beginning, but settled in towards the middle.”

According to Bergman, the team’s hitting carried the team, especially in a game where their defence was struggling.

“Our hitting has improved a lot since last year which will keep us at the top this season,” he said.  “Our defence wasn’t as sharp as it could have been — we’re usually a lot stronger.”

The Mustangs got on the board early when outfielder Robert Wakefield’s sacrifice fly in the first drove in Andrew Thompson.

The Hawks managed to tie up the game in the third inning, but the Mustangs took over in the fifth, with Thompson getting his first of two RBIs. They continued to build their lead, adding four more runs by the end of the seventh.

Though the Hawks got their offence going in the ninth, the Mustangs still held on to win 6-3.

“Our team showed a lot of resiliency,” Laurier’s head coach Scott Ballantyne said. “I like the way we came back and showed fire at the end of the game.”

Ballantyne was confident Laurier would carry their momentum into the second game, especially with staff ace Steve Zagrodny on the mound.

Zagrodny shut down the powerful Western line-up, giving up only four hits and two runs over six innings. Unfortunately for the Hawks, Mustang’s pitcher Adam Paish went one inning further, allowing a mere two hits in the 2-0 shutout.

Mustangs’ third baseman Paul Lytwynec led the offence, scoring the game’s opening run in the third before driving in catcher Jon Kim in the sixth.

The Mustangs finished their weekend with a doubleheader versus OUA-newcomers the Queen’s Gaels. Western was victorious again, defeating Queen’s in both games by scores of 11-1 and 9-1.

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