Apr 10, 2009 3 min read

MOUNT PLEASANT – The Laurel Highlands Mustangs rebounded from a 12-inning home loss to Indiana with a hard-fought 7-3 win at Mount Pleasant on Thursday. The Mustangs scored all their runs in the first and sixth innings, sending a combined 16 batters to the plate in those innings; one less batter than LH had in the other five innings combined. Nick Forsythe went the distance on the mound for Laurel Highlands, giving up six hits, striking out seven, and battling through Mount Pleasant threats in every inning except the first. The Mustangs scored three quick runs to start the game as Mason Tupta led off with a walk and reached second base on an errant pickoff throw by Viking pitcher Joey Fearer. Gio Schiano singled to drive in Tupta and took second on the throw home. Schiano advanced on a ground out and scored on Ethan Mildren’s sacrifice fly.

Carmen Congelio and Joe Eperjesi followed with successive singles as Congelio moved to third. The Mustangs scored their third run on a successful double steal to make it 3-0.

Fearer settled down for the next four innings, holding the Mustangs hitless and allowing just two base runners while his teammates cut the lead to 3-2.

In the home second, Allen Wadsworth’s sacrifice fly out drove in Fearer for the first Viking run.

Forsythe pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the Mount Pleasant third, and stranded another runner at second base in the fourth. But Mount Pleasant cut the lead to one in the fifth when Fearer’s single up the middle drove in Eric Bradley.

Laurel Highlands (4-1, 1-1) responded with a four-run outburst in the sixth as the Mustangs sent nine batters to the plate. Mildren walked with one out, Congelio doubled to right field, and Eperjesi tripled to deep left center. Eperjesi then scored on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, Tupta singled to drive in Tyler Halfhill with the final run.

Mount Pleasant (6-2, 2-1) went down swinging in the seventh as Mike Bando scored on a force out, and the game ended with the Vikings stranding their ninth and 10th base runners.

Mustang coach Tom Landman praised his team for rebounding from the tough loss to Indiana the previous day. “The kids really played a good game on the road,” he said. “We lost a tough ball game against Indiana, but in baseball you can always come back the next day. (Forsythe) made the pitches when he had to against a good Mount Pleasant team that battled all the way.”

Despite the loss, Mount Pleasant coach Tom Hudzema was proud that his team never quit. “That’s the Mount Pleasant way,” he said. “Whatever it takes.” He said Laurel Highlands is a team the Vikings would like to emulate. “That’s a good team with a lot of athletes who are well-coached.”