STEVENSON, MD. – Sophomore Peter Balos launched his first two career homeruns lifting the Ursinus College baseball team to a spit with Stevenson University on Sunday.
 

The Bears won the opening contest 10-8 behind scoring in five consecutive innings, but Stevenson took game two winning 16-2.
 
Ursinus 10, Stevenson 8

Stevenson jumped on the board first in the bottom half of the first inning as three straight baserunners reached base with two outs and a single to rightfield from Elliott Schilpp scored two runs for the Mustangs. Ursinus answered in the second inning as with two outs, Balos lifted his first career home run with a shot to left center field to cut the Bears deficit in half. Senior right hander Casey Murphy started on the mound for Ursinus and started to settle in during the second inning. After allowing a one-out single, Murphy retired the final two batters via back-to-back groundouts to end the inning.


 
The Mustangs added two more runs in their half of the third inning as a double to left center from Schilpp drove in two runs to increase the Mustangs lead to three. The Bears slowly started to battle back, scoring two runs in the top half of the fourth inning as sophomore Andrew Richter and Balos each recorded RBI singles, cutting the Bears deficit to one. Murphy retired the Mustangs in order in the bottom half of the frame as a strikeout, flyout, and ground out sent the Bears offense back up to the plate.


 
Junior Will Kelley led off the fifth inning with a single and advanced into scoring position behind a throwing error from Stevenson's pitcher. After a strikeout, senior Solomon Griffith singled to left field to score Kelley from second base. With two runners on, a strikeout and pop out would end the Bears rally as the score was tied at four a piece heading in the bottom frame of the fifth inning. Stevenson led off with a double in the fifth and after a ground out and a walk the Bears would head to the bullpen. First-year Dan Bass relieved Murphy on the mound and recorded back-to-back outs to escape the jam and keep the game tied.


 
The Bears added two runs in the sixth inning as Balos connected again for his third hit of the day and second homerun of the game by jumping on 1-0 fastball and driving it over the left centerfield fence to give Ursinus a 5-4 lead. Senior Thomas Pancheri would reach first base the hard way; a hit-by-pitch, as Ursinus would load the bases behind back-to-back hits from Kelley and sophomore Jakob Cantor. Senior Solomon Griffith delivered a one out sacrifice fly to left field scoring Pancheri from third. The Mustangs would escape the jam as they recorded a punch out for the third out of the inning.


 
Stevenson bounced back in the sixth inning scoring all three runs with two outs to regain a 7-6 lead. With two outs and runners on the corners, a double and a single would plate all three runs for the Mustangs. Ursinus responded in the seventh inning as they loaded the bases and with two outs Kelley delivered again for the Bears with a line drive triple in the right center field gap. All three runners would come around to score, but a great relay from the Mustangs defense cut Kelley down at the plate trying for an inside the park homerun. In the bottom half of the seventh, Stevenson cut their deficit to one as with the bases loaded and just one out, back-to-back ground ball outs allowed just one run to score. Ursinus added an insurance run in the eighth inning as Cantor scored from third on a Mustangs defensive error while trying to cut down Griffith stealing second. Junior right-hander Jared Minnichbach and senior David Kratz closed the door on the Mustangs hopes to get back into the game closing out the contest for the final six outs. Minnichbach fanned two batters and Kratz earned his first collegiate save by recording the final out of the contest to give Ursinus a 10-8 victory.


 
Balos and Kelley led the way for the Bears on offense finishing with three hits and three RBI's a piece while Griffith and Snipes each collected two hits.

 
Ursinus 2, Stevenson 16

A much different contest in game two as the Mustangs scored five runs in the bottom half of the first inning behind just two hits and three walks from sophomore Kieran Hollander. With two outs and the bases loaded, Stevenson's Trent Smoot lifted a grand slam over the left field fence. Ursinus loaded the bases in their half of the second inning but only scored one run as sophomore Dylan Runsdorf tallied an RBI after grounding out to the pitcher.


 
Stevenson added two more insurance runs over the next two innings increasing their lead to 7-1 heading into the fourth. Stevenson's pitcher Seth Downs kept the Bears off balance through the fourth and fifth inning and struck out four consecutive batters at one point as the Mustangs held onto a 7-1 advantage. In the bottom of the fifth, the Mustangs added a run on a two-out single to left field extending their advantage to seven. The Bears added a lead-off baserunner in the sixth inning but a lineout resulting in a double play ended the Bears threat. In the bottom half of the frame, Stevenson added seven runs from six hits and one Bears defensive miscue. The Mustangs offense tallied four extra base hits and stretched their lead to 15-1.


 
Ursinus added a late run with one out in the ninth inning as sophomore Ben Cuccolo tallied a single into left field scoring first-year Tyler Dinan from third base. The Mustangs pitching staff recorded the final two outs of the contest via a flyout and a strikeout to win game two via a 16-2 score.


 
The Bears will return to action on Thursday as they host The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) for their 2023 home opener.