Mount Marty Shuts Out Briar Cliff Behind Dominant Pitching

March 22, 2025 – Yankton, SD

The Mount Marty Lancers delivered a stellar performance on the mound, securing a 3-0 shutout victory over Briar Cliff on Saturday. Slayder Watterson led the way with 6.1 scoreless innings, while Zach Hegge closed the door in the seventh to earn the save.

Pitching Dominance

Watterson (1-0) was in control throughout, allowing just four hits and three walks while striking out four over 110 pitches. He worked efficiently, keeping the Chargers off the scoreboard and stranding runners in key situations. Hegge entered in the seventh with one out and struck out two batters to seal the win.

Lancers Strike in the Third

After two scoreless innings, Mount Marty broke through in the third. Jalen Owens led off with a walk and advanced on a single by Ryan Bachman. Later in the inning, Cooper Mlnarik delivered an RBI single, scoring Owens for the game's first run. Bachman later scored on an error to make it 2-0.

Vonnegut Adds Insurance

In the fifth inning, Daniel Vonnegut provided an extra cushion, roping a run-scoring double to bring home Will Gardner and extend the lead to 3-0. That proved to be all the Lancers needed, as the pitching staff took care of the rest.

Key Performers for Mount Marty

• Slayder Watterson (W, 1-0): 6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K

• Zach Hegge (Sv, 1): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K

• Daniel Vonnegut: 1-for-2, 2B, RBI

• Cooper Mlnarik: 1-for-2, RBI

• Ryan Bachman: 1-for-2, R, SB

Mount Marty Rallies in the 7th to Secure Series Sweep Over Briar Cliff

March 22, 2025 – Yankton, SD

For the second straight game, Mount Marty used strong pitching and timely hitting to take down Briar Cliff, this time rallying for a 4-2 victory in the second game of the series.

Jacobs Keeps Lancers in the Game

Palmer Jacobs (W, 1-0) turned in a dominant start, tossing seven innings of one-run ball, allowing seven hits while striking out four and walking none. Jacob Walker and Zach Hegge finished off the game, with Hegge earning his second save in as many games.

Briar Cliff Strikes First

After five scoreless innings, Briar Cliff broke through in the sixth when Cade Marquardt delivered an RBI single, scoring Nico Sall to put the Chargers up 1-0.

Lancers Explode in the 7th

Mount Marty responded in a big way in the bottom of the seventh, putting up a four-run inning to take control:

• Ryan Bachman ripped an RBI double, scoring Jalen Owens to tie the game at 1-1.

• Aidan Chang advanced on a failed pickoff attempt, allowing William Rauch to score (2-1).

• Cooper Mlnarik and Shugo Kondo followed with RBI singles, stretching the lead to 4-1.

Briar Cliff's Late Push Falls Short

The Chargers made things interesting in the ninth, loading the bases with one out. Damon Schmid singled in a run to cut the lead to 4-2, but Hegge slammed the door with back-to-back strikeouts to preserve the win.

Key Performers for Mount Marty

• Palmer Jacobs (W, 1-0): 7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 4 K, 0 BB

• Ryan Bachman: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI

• Cooper Mlnarik: 3-for-4, RBI

• Shugo Kondo: 2-for-2, RBI

• Jalen Owens: 2-for-4, R, SB

Up Next

With the win, Mount Marty improves to 15-9 (4-4 GPAC) and will turn its focus to an upcoming series against Dordt.