FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Late Inning Magic! Hillson's Walk-Off Double Lifts Mounties to Sweep over Assumption
 
CARY, N.C. – Taylor Hillson's two-out, walk-off double capped a four-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning as Mansfield swept Assumption in a non-conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, N.C.
 
Tommy Alexander earned a complete game victory as Mansfield (4-1, 0-0 PSAC East) took the opener 5-1 before the Mounties rallied in the nightcap for a 9-8 win.
 
Assumption (0-2, 0-0 NE-10) opened game one with a run in the top of the first inning, but the Mountaineers answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Scott Rockwell drew a one-out walk before Zephan Kash put a pair of runners in scoring position with a double. Matt Kurelja drove in a run with an RBI single then Ryan Paige walked to load the bases. Tanner Klein and Owen Lukens each drove in runs to give Mansfield the 3-1 advantage.
 
Alexander got into a bases-loaded jam in the top of the third with only one out, but the senior shut the door on the Greyhounds by striking out the final two batters.
 
Jerry Chavarria led-off the fourth with a double to the gap and moved to third on a ground out. Rockwell drove in Chavarria before scoring himself on a Kurelja RBI single to increase the Mountie lead to 5-1.
 
Alexander allowed just one hit over the final three innings to lead Mansfield to the win. The senior tossed 7.0 innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run while striking out four.
 
Kurelja led Mansfield at the plate going 2-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
 
In game two, Assumption struck first again, scoring three runs on two hits in the top of the first.
 
Hillson drew a lead-off walk in the bottom of the first and moved to second on a Rockwell sacrifice bunt. A flyout allowed Hillson to tag up to take third before Ryan Paige drove him in on an RBI single to left field.
 
The Greyhounds added a run in the second and third innings to extend their lead to 5-1. Another RBI single by Paige in the bottom of the third scored Rockwell to cut Mansfield's deficit to three runs.
 
Assumption was poised to add a run in the fourth with a lead-off triple by Tom Paine, but reliever Billy Gregory ended the threat by forcing three straight outs to strand the runner.
 
RBIs from Hillson and Rockwell in the fourth inning closed the gap to 5-4.
 
Owen Lukens opened the sixth inning with a walk before Spencer Zuraski wore a pitch to put two runners on. Rockwell drove a ball deep to left field to score Michael Jankowski, the pinch runner, but the potential winning run was thrown out at home.
 
With the score tied 5-5, Assumption used three hits to produce three runs and take a big lead late in the game.
Facing last at bats, Paige reached with a one-out single before Wes Custer came up huge two batters later, stroking a two-out home run over the left field fence to bring the Mountaineers within one run at 8-7. Back-to-back walks by Dalton Lewis and Chavarria set up Hillson who put the second pitch of the at bat just beyond the reach of the left fielder allowing both runners to score.
 
Alec Covel earned the victory after getting the final two outs for Mansfield. Gregory looked great out of the bullpen in his collegiate debut throwing 2.2 innings with just one hit allowed.
 
It marks the second walk-off victory of the season for the Mountaineers who opened the year with a walk-off home run by Kash to defeat No. 3 Mercyhurst last week.
 
Paige went 3-4 for Mansfield at the plate with two RBIs and a run.
 
The Mountaineers take on Assumption for two more games tomorrow morning.