AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Senior Luke Yogerst threw a two-hit shutout in the season-opener to lead the MSOE baseball team to a doubleheader split with Clark University Monday afternoon in Florida.
The Raiders (1-1) opened their season with a 3-0 victory on the strength of Yogerst's arm, but the Cougars (1-4) responded with a strong outing on the mound for a 1-0 victory in game two.
Yogerst (1-0) struck out six and walked just one in becoming the first MSOE pitcher to throw a shutout since Ben Hansen March 4, 2011. After a single to lead off the fourth, Yogerst picked the runner off and retired the final 11 batters of the game.
At the plate, junior Jake Roberts got the Raiders on the board in the bottom of the third. Senior Derek Jordan reached on a two-out single and Roberts followed with an RBI triple. Senior Tyler Magyar followed with a single of his own to score Roberts and make it 2-0.
That would be all Yogerst needed, but sophomore Casey Magyar scored an insurance run in the fifth. He led off with a double and came around to score on an error two batters later.
In game two, senior Adam Vlaj (0-1) nearly matched his teammate. He hurled a six-inning complete game, surrendering just one run and four hits. His only mistake was a solo home run by Clark's Adam Chochrek to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning.
MSOE put the tying run on base in the top of the seventh inning when sophomore Nick Jablonski led off with a walk. SeniorZane Witt came in to pinch run, but could move no further as the Red and White had back-to-back fly outs and a fielder's choice to end the game.
Sophomore Tyler Doyle led the Raiders in game two with two hits, while Casey Magyar had two hits on the day as well. A total of eight different players collected a hit on the first day of the season.
Casey Marvell (1-0) went the distance for the Cougars in game two, allowing five hits and no runs in his collegiate debut.
MSOE continues play in Florida, moving to Winter Haven Tuesday for a doubleheader with Trine. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. central time.