AUBURNDALE, Fla. –
Logan South (
Fr.-Oswego, Ill.) reached base four times in his first game hitting in the leadoff spot and the Lakeland University baseball team defeated Fontbonne (Mo.) University 18-3 Sunday morning at the Lake Myrtle Complex as part of the RussMatt Invitational.
South scored four times and drove in a pair of runs and
Tucker Gegenfurtner (
So.-Onalaska, Wis.) also finished with four hits as the Muskies scored in six of seven innings, including multiple runs in all six innings. Lakeland improved to 2-1 through two days in Florida and is now 2-3 on the season.
The Muskies never trailed in the game, setting the table with two runs in the top of the first inning. South reached on a leadoff walk and
OakLee Spens (
Sr.-South Weber, Utah) and
Zak Keegan (
Sr.-Frankfort, Ill.) reached on errors, a recurring theme in the game as the Griffins committed nine errors. Gegenfurtner followed with a bases-loaded two-run single to score South and Spens.
Lakeland scored three runs in the second, including an RBI single by South, and tallied two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Landen Sobieski (
Sr.-Berlin, Wis.) doubled and
Sean Gregorius (
Fr.-Germantown, Wis.) singled to both send in runs in the fourth, and Keegan and Gegenfurtner delivered RBI singles in the fifth to stretch the Muskies' lead to 9-1.
Fontbonne scored twice in the bottom of the fifth, but Lakeland answered with three in the sixth, including a
Caleb Sumsion (
Jr.-Dayton, Nev.) single to drive in two runs. Lakeland was able to pour it on in the seventh with six more runs, coming on just two hits. Griffins pitching hit four consecutive batters with the bases loaded, and Keegan and
James Alvarez (
Jr.-Barstow, Calif.) also drove in runs.
While the Muskies were scoring with regularity,
Thor Dunham (
Jr.-Palisade, Minn.) was in control on the mound and picked up his first collegiate win. Dunham went six innings and allowed eight hits and three runs with five strikeouts in his first start, and
Bryan Mitchell (
So.-Adell, Wis.) pitched a scoreless seventh and struck out two to close it out.
Gegenfurtner went 4-for-6 at the plate and Gregorius added three hits, with South and Spens adding two hits each. Keegan and Sumsion also drove in three runs each and Sumsion scored three times, and (
So.-Germantown, Wis.) came on late and reached twice on errors and scored both times.
Gavin Lyday had two hits and drove in two runs for the Griffins, who dropped to 0-8 on the season. Fontbonne is in its last season of competition, as the St. Louis school will close its doors this summer.
Lakeland continues play in Florida on Monday when it faces SUNY Oneonta and Greenville (Ill.) University in games on Field 2 at the Lake Myrtle Complex in Auburndale.
