SHELBYVILLE — The Mt. Vernon Marauders didn’t look like a 1-3 baseball team in Friday’s Hoosier Heritage Conference doubleheader against the Shelbyville Golden Bears.
Coming in hitting just .243 as a team, the Marauders pounded out 17 hits in a 13-3 Game 1 victory, then followed it up with a five-inning 12-2 win to earn a sweep. They had eight hits by eight different players in the Game 2 win.
Along with evening their overall record at 3-3, the Marauders improved to 3-1 in the conference, just one-half game behind league-leader Pendleton Heights (3-0).
“I think they are jelling into the team they can be,” Mt. Vernon head coach Ryan Carr said. “They saw tonight, if they play baseball the right way, what kind of team they can be, and it’s awesome.”
Carr had help from everyone on Friday. He had eight different players get hits in each game. On the mound, Will Nelson, for the second straight Friday, picked up the Game 2 victory. In the opener, Eli Clotfelter went the first four, while freshman Landon Clark finished it up.
Leadoff hitter Nolan Bowser combined to reach base eight out of nine times. He was perfect for the first eight before hitting into a fielder’s choice in his last at-bat. He had four hits and drew four walks. He scored seven times and stole four bases. He also had two RBIs.
In the 13-3 opener, the junior shortstop came to the plate five times, reached base in all five, and scored four runs. The time he didn’t score, he had an RBI-single in a two-run fourth inning. He finished the game 3-for-3 with two walks, three stolen bases, four runs and an RBI.
Carr knew it was just a matter of time for Bowser, who came into the game hitting just .100 after the team’s first four games.
“The first four games he’s been making good contact, but he was just hitting it right at people,” Carr said. “He’s way too good of a hitter to be hitting .100.”
There’s a good reason Carr expected Bowser’s talents would be shown sooner rather than later.
“He is so mentally tough,” Carr said. “You look at him and you couldn’t tell if he was hitting .100 or .500. He really sets the table so well for us.”
Though Bowser’s numbers on Friday were eye-popping, he wasn’t the only one making noise at the plate.
In the opener, Bowser, Jake Stadler and Shaun Shipley each had three hits. Hunter Dobbins, Payton Bovard and Austin Sumner had two hits apiece.
Dobbins got things going right away with a two-run first-inning home run.
After Shelbyville cut Mt. Vernon’s lead to 5-3 in the fourth, the Marauders exploded for six runs in the sixth.
All six runs came after the first two hitters of the inning were retired. The big hit of the frame was a three-run home run from Shipley.
The Marauders had four multi-run innings and scored in five frames.
“Baseball has a way of evening out,” Carr said. “We’re better than .243, but we’re probably not going to get 17 hits each game. We’re somewhere there in between.”
Mt. Vernon had big innings in the nightcap, too. The Marauders broke a scoreless tie with a three-run third inning. The big play was a bases loaded successful squeeze bunt from Sam McCarty. The throw to first on the play went wild and all three runners scored.
Five more runs in the fourth gave Mt. Vernon an 8-0 lead. Shipley, Thomas Obergfell, Jake Stank and Bowser all had hits in the inning. Dobbins had the RBI-hit, on a too-hot-to-handle shot to shortstop, that ended the game due to the 10-run mercy rule.
“I think we saw the ball real well tonight and had a great approach at the plate,” Bowser said. “That’s what led to going 2-0 tonight.”
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Game 1
Mt. Vernon 13, Shelbyville 3
MV (2-3, 2-1);201;206;2;—;13;17;2
SV (4-3, 1-2);000;300;0;—;3;5;3
WP: Eli Clotfelter. LP: Connor Beagle.
2B: Shaun Shipley, Thomas Obergfell, Sam McCarty (MV); Charlie Rife 2, Grant Martin, Colin Mahin (SV). HR: Hunter Dobbins, Shaun Shipley (MV) RBI: Shaun Shipley 3, Hunter Dobbins 2, Sam McCarty 2, Jake Stadler 2, Thomas Obergfell, Nolan Bowser, Payton Bovard (MV); Charlie Rife 2, Grant Martin (SV).
Notable: Nolan Bowser 3-for-3, 3 SB, 4 R, RBI; Shaun Shipley 3-for-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R; Jake Stadler 3-for-5 1 R, 2 RBI (MV)
Game 2
Mt. Vernon 12, Shelbyville 2
SV (4-4, 1-3);000;02;—;2;4;2
MV (3-3, 3-1);003;54;—;12;8;0
WP: Will Nelson. LP: Benny Thompson.
2B: Colin Mahin (SV). RBI: Sam McCarty 2, Jake Stank, Nolan Bowser, Jake Stadler, Austin Sumner, Hunter Dobbins (MV); Nolen Kincade, Eadin Batling (SV).
Notable: Will Nelson 5 IP, 4-hitter, CG, 3 K; Nolan Bowser 1-for-2, 3 R, 1 SB, Sam McCarty 1-for-2, 2 RBI, SF (MV)
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