Mount Vernon baseball took on a pair of ranked 3A teams last week, splitting with No. 10 Center Point-Urbana, and getting swept by No. 3 Marion.
On Monday, June 3, against CP-U at Ash Park, the Mustangs won the opener 10-0 in five innings, then lost 5-4.
“It was a good night, and we just came up a run and an inning short,” Mount Vernon coach Charles Chatman said.
In the first game, AJ McDermott got the pitching win, giving up two hits and two walks over five innings, striking out four.
“He commanded three pitches in the strike zone,” Chatman said. “As a team we had some clutch, two-out hits. It was a good team effort all the way around.”
The Mustangs racked up 11 hits. Porter Chatman had a double. Jase Jaspers and Kellen Haverback each had three hits.
In the second game, the Stormin’ Pointers scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning. The Mustangs had eight hits. Haverback.hit 2-for-3.
The Mustangs then dropped a pair to No. 3 Marion on Thursday, June 6, 13-4 and 8-4 at Marion High School.
“They are in a different place than us right now,” Chatman said of the Wolves. “We didn’t feel overmatched, but they are worthy of all their accolades. We were tied late in the game … so we’re not that far away.”
The Wolves tagged sophomore Cael Foreman for 10 hits and 12 runs in the opener. Junior Colin Bentley had a home run and three RBIs to pace the offense.
In the second game, the Wolves scored three times in the bottom of the sixth to pull away. Mount Vernon (7-6) had eight hits, with Camden Merino hitting 3-for-3 and Gret Swartzendruber going 2-for-3.
A non-conference twin bill at North Scott on Tuesday, June 4, was cancelled. Chatman said they got one inning in, and Ethan Wood showed some promise as a pitcher before the rain started.