Szohr's strong outing guides Bobcats to win
MILWAUKEE — Freshman Carter Szohr pitched for Bryant & Stratton College and recorded six strikeouts, helping the Bobcats defeat MATC in a nine-inning nail-biter.
Szohr worked through the first four innings, allowing two hits, three walks and recording four strikeouts.
"Szohr pitched a great game in his first-ever region appearance for us," Bryant & Stratton head baseball coach Alex Tomter said. "He's put together three extremely impressive appearances so far this season, which is huge for a freshman to come out of the gates so strong and makes us very hopeful for what is to come with him over the next few months!"
He was looking for run support and would get it in the fifth. Following a Luis Serrano walk, catcher Easton Snow singled and drove in Serrano, who had stolen second. The Bobcats' offense wasn't finished as designated hitter Alex Esser drove in Snow and Connor Kalinowski, who reached after being hit by a pitch.
Szohr kept the MATC bats quiet again in the bottom of the fifth, and the Bobcats came to the plate looking to add more runs. Sean Riley led off the top of the sixth with a walk and stole second. Riley found himself on third after a wild pitch, and Serrano stepped to the plate looking to bring him in. He did it with a sacrifice bunt, and the Bobcats led 4-0.
Szohr went out for more work in the home half of the sixth and sat down the first two batters but would be pulled after giving up an RBI double. Szohr walked five and struck out five batters in 5⅔ innings of work. He was relieved by Thomas Hunt, who only needed one pitch to turn away the Stormers.
Hunt's appearance on the mound was significant. He's been rehabbing for two years following Tommy John surgery, and his appearance on Wednesday marked the first time he pitched for the Bobcats.
"It was a lift for every single one of us," Tomter said. "Every single teammate of his has seen the road he traveled to get here, so he had an entire dugout full of guys cheering for him to be excellent yesterday."
He returned to work in the bottom for the seventh and allowed one run.
"The energy was there all day," Hunt said. "It was great to see Carter throw really well and have big hits behind him. Overall, it was really great to be a part of, and it was great to be my first outing."
The Bryant & Stratton bats went quiet in the last two innings, and Ryan Weed was called upon to make a two-inning save. He did, stranding the game-tying run on third.
"We always put a little bit extra significance on playing the other Wisconsin JUCOs, so being able to come out with a win against MATC definitely has a lot of meaning for us," Tomter said. "In cold and wind like we played in yesterday, too, you have to be tough mentally and scrappy to get the job done, so I thought our guys did an excellent job with all of that."
The Bobcats move to 6-11 on the season with the victory and will try to start a winning streak at their home opener against Prairie State College on Friday.
