Baseball sweeps Indiana Tech in doubleheader

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (February 16, 2024) – The Milligan University baseball team swept a Friday afternoon doubleheader against Indiana Tech at Anglin Field on Friday afternoon. The Buffs earned a 2-1 victory in game one and overcame a six-run deficit to triumph 8-7 in the second game.

Milligan moves to 8-3 on the season while Indiana Tech starts its year 0-2.

Game 1 – Milligan 2, Indiana Tech 1 (7 innings)

The Buffs scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning as Caleb Berry doubled in Gaven Jones and Braden Spano singled home courtesy runner Roangeraud Fraai. Milligan had runners on second and third with two outs but the Warriors tracked down Angel Lobo's fly ball in the left-center field gap to end the inning.

Indiana Tech struck back with a two-out single to score an unearned run in the second to bring the score to 2-1. After the Warriors singled to start the third inning Milligan starter Anfernee Fernandez recorded nine-straight batters to get through the fifth.

After a one-out single by Indiana Tech in the sixth, Berry threw out a baserunner trying to steal second and Fernandez worked out of the inning. The Buffs threated in the fifth and sixth innings with runners on second and third and nobody out in the fifth and runners on the corners with no outs in the sixth but were unable to add any insurance runs.

Canyon Geren entered the game in the seventh and after a one-out walk coaxed a double play to end the ballgame.

Jones went 3-3 with a run scored. Berry and Ryan Molinari each had two hits and a double. Fernandez picked up his second win of the season as he went six innings, allowed one unearned run on three hits and struck out three. Geren picked up his second save of the season.

Game 2 – Milligan 8, Indiana Tech 7 (7 innings)

Indiana Tech plated three runs in the first inning and three more in the third as the Warriors built a 6-0 lead. Jose Paula knocked in a pair of runs with a base hit in the bottom of the third. Idnaiana Tech's margin grew to 7-2 in the top of the sixth.

Spano, Lobo and Jones each doubled in the sixth inning. Lobo drove in Spano's pinch runner and Jones brought home Lobo and Andrew Beavers. Berry lifted a sacrifice fly to make it a 7-6 ballgame.

Paula doubled to left to plate Jones and tie the game. An errant throw went out of play which brought home Paula to give Milligan an 8-7 edge.

The Warriors put a runner on second with one out but Austin Maxey recorded the final two outs for the save. Vicente Mendoza was the winning pitcher as he allowed one run in three innings of relief.

Jones doubled, scored twice and drove in two runs. Paula doubled and drove in three runs. Lobo had a double, scored and drove in a run.

Milligan and Indiana Tech conclude their series tomorrow at 12:00 p.m.