Martin Collegiate broke open a close game with a four run 5th inning to defeat University Heights 12-6 Wednesday afternoon in the Disney Baseball Spring Training. The team from Regina, Saskatchewan, took advantage of four hits and two walks in the inning to put together their rally.
The two teams had battled back and forth through the early innings of the contest. UHA took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Drew McGowan scored on a wild pitch. Martin pitching had been “wild” all through the inning, giving the Blazers four free passes.
Martin came right back in the top of the second inning, using two hits and two walks to score two runs and take a 2-1 lead over UHA. Martin extended the lead to 3-1 in the top of the 4th inning on an RBI single.
In the bottom half of the inning, three of the first four Blazers to come to the plate walked. Drew McGowan drove in Eston Glover with a single to right field to cut the lead to 3-2. Tanner Thomas then drew a bases loaded walk to force in Zach Naylor and tie the game at 3-3.
In the top of the 5th, Martin used a double, a single, and two walks to score three runs and chase UHA starter Tanner Thomas after 4 2/3. Martin would add another run in the inning off relief pitcher Luke Welch to extend the lead to 7-3. A triple and a sac fly in the top of the 6th, and the lead grew to 9-3.
The Blazers trimmed the lead to 9-4 in the bottom of the 6th, when Dan Johnson drove in Dustin Moon with an RBI single.
Martin then got some insurance in the top of the 7th inning. Martin took advantage of a walk and an error to open the inning and added three more runs to push the lead on out to 12-4 headed into the bottom of the 7th.
UHA scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the 7th, when Drew McGowan drove in Ty Hunt and Zach Naylor with a triple.
Drew McGowan was 2-3 for UHA, with a triple, a walk, 3 RBIs, and a run scored. Dan Johnson went 1-4, and drove in a run. Dustin Moon was 1-1, with two walks and a run scored.
Tanner Thomas and Luke Welch combined to give up 12 runs, 8 of them earned, on 11 hits, striking out seven and walking six.
Defense struggled for the Blazers afternoon as they were charged with five errors in the game.
