By: Ryan Gasser, sports information director

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. –  The Capital University baseball team opened the 2020 campaign with a win over Bates College (Maine) after defeating the Bobcats, 12-4, on Saturday afternoon. Freshman Tucker Craft earned the win in his first collegiate start on the hill and was backed by a potent offensive display.

ADDITIONAL INFO
Box score  |  2020 Schedule  |  2020 statistics
Follow Capital Athletics on Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Facebook

FOLLOW THAT FRESHMAN!

• In his first collegiate start, Tucker Craft (Bowling Green, Ohio / Bowling Green) tossed a gem to begin his Crusader career. He finished the day having thrown 5.0 innings and allowed just four hits and two runs.
• Craft worked out of a first-inning jam in which he put two runners on via a single and walk. With runners at first and second, he induced a 6-4 putout and then struck out Bryan Gotti to end his opening inning.
• He put down the Bobcats in order in the second inning and with a little help from catcher Brandon Barnette, kept the scoreboard clean. Barnette threw out Will Sylvia attempting to steal second base to empty the bases.
• Bates broke up the shutout with two runs in the fifth inning on a two-out rally following Christian Beal's two-RBI single, which made the score 3-2.
• Craft (W, 1-0) worked around three walks but struck out five batters in his debut.

BIG BATS MAKE BIG NOISE

• Cap wasted no time in scoring with its two-running opening inning. Beau Otto singled to open the game then advanced on a wild pitch. Shayne Lyons put the ball in play by an error by the Bobcats' pitch allowed Otto to score from second base,
• Lyons took third base on a sacrifice fly and then scored when Connor Richardson grounded out to the right side to put Cap up 2-0.
• Another trio of Bates errors allowed Bryce Grisez to get on base and later score to increase Cap's lead to 3-0 in the top of the third inning.
• Cap then rolled out a two-run sixth inning behind three hits, including run-scoring doubles by Lyons and Grisez.
• The Crusaders then scored four more runs in the following inning with three consecutive two-out, run-scoring base knocks. Konnor Black and Cole Callaghan had singles at the bottom of the lineup. Callaghan scored Drew Ellis, who reached on a fielder's choice. Otto then followed with an RBI single before Lyons cleared the bases with a fourth consecutive single, which scored two runs to make the score 9-2 in the seventh.
• After Bates scored twice in the eighth, Capital tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth for good measure. Two of those runs came from Connor Richardson's two-out, two-run single.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Capital scored 12 runs on 14 hits and had help from six Bates errors. Seven of Capital's 12 runs were earned.
• Beau Otto opened the year up with a 4-for-5 effort at the plate, scored four times and had one RBI.
• Four Capital hitters recorded multiple hits including Otto, Lyons (2), Richardson (2), and Callaghan (3).
• The top of the Capital order from spots one through four went a combined 7-for-21 (.333) with eight ribbies, eight runs scores, and two walks drawn.
• Kyle Armbrecht threw three innings in relief and gave up two earned runs. Ryan Henne tossed a scoreless ninth and worked out of a jam with help from a game-ending 5-3 double play.

UP NEXT

Capital (1-0) will return to Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Fla. and play Castleton University (Vt.) on Sunday, February 23. First pitch is set for 10 a.m.