The University of Toronto Varsity Blues baseball team split a set of Sunday afternoon (Sept. 17) games with the OUA defending champion Western Mustangs, 11-4 and 1-11.

The Blues maintained their .500 record as they currently sit 3-3 in fourth place in the OUA, while the Mustangs remained in first with a 6-2 mark.

Toronto opened the weekend with an incredible pitching performance from veteran Graham Tebbit as he pitched a solid eight innings, striking out 10 Mustangs batters, while allowing just two earned runs.

Buoyed by Tebbit's efforts on the mound, the Blues offence delivered three runs in the eighth and six in the ninth to secure the convincing victory. OUA all-star catcher Tanner Young-Schultz finished the game with three RBI, going 2-for-5 at the plate, while Gabriel Nakonechny and Bradley Bedford each added two RBI.

Mustangs starting pitcher Dustin Godden also went eight innings in the loss, striking out nine while allowing five earned runs. Western first baseman Jeff Martin led the team with three RBI.

In game two of the doubleheader the Blues bats continued to roll with the team matching the Mustangs nine hits with six of their own, but Toronto was unable to score with runners in scoring position.

Both Young-Schultz and Bedford delivered with high efficiency, going 2-for-3 at the plate.

Toronto used a host of pitchers with first-year kinesiology major Mateos Kekatos drawing the start. Kekatos pitched four innings, striking out three, while giving up six walks and three earned runs. Peter Nash, Dean Christidis, and Matthew Chow were all called upon in relief.  

Western starting pitcher Adam Paished pitched all six innings in the shortened game, striking out three while allowing just one earned run. Left-fielder Christopher Nolfi led the Mustangs with three RBI, going 2-for-2 at the plate while also drawing two walks.

The Blue and White will now prepare for back-to-back doubleheaders this weekend as they challenge the Queen's Gaels on the road on Saturday, September 23 before returning home to Dan Lang Field to welcome the Guelph Gryphons to UTSC on Sunday, September 24. Both days have first pitches scheduled for 12 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

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