That all changed Wednesday, as Zack Mann dominated on the mound and Mobile used a 4-run 8th to break open a 1-1 ball game. Mann (4-1) worked 8.1 innings on the mound, while limiting the AUM bats to only 4 hits. The lefty walked 4 and fanned 2 while allowing only 1 earned run.
Mann sat down 11 in a row heading into the 9th before the Senators loaded the bases and plated 1 run to chase Mann. Ira Turner came on with the bases juiced and 1-out, and got a strikeout and fly out to pick up the save and get out of trouble.
In that game-winning 8th inning, the Rams sent 9 batters to the plate. Jared Baria and David Cramblitt started the frame with a double and single, respectively to plate the first run and take a 2-1 lead. After Daine Solomon followed 2 batters later with another RBI single, Brett Barber capped the inning with a 2-out, 2-run pinch-hit single.
Baria led the Rams by going 3-for-4 at the plate, extending his hitting streak to 16 games. The last 5 games have all been multi-hit efforts. Barber finished 1-for-1 with 2 RBI and Solomon went 1-for-3 with a RBI and run scored.
Mobile (27-7) returns to conference action and travels to William Carey University for a 3-game set beginning Friday, March 28th.
Rams Leap To #6 Nationally....
Prior to the game, the NAIA released its latest baseball Top-25 and the Rams moved up 2 spots to #6 in the nation after sweeping GCAC foe Loyola to move to 20-1 in conference action.
Mobile received 409 votes to place them one spot ahead of Tennessee Wesleyan and one spot behind Oklahoma City. AUM moved up to #16 in the poll, while fellow GCAC schools LSU-Shreveport and William Carey were receiving votes.
