Baseball sweeps AAC opener
The Milligan College baseball team finished their Appalachian Athletic Conference three-game series opener against St. Andrews University Sunday afternoon and completed the series with a 7-2 win in game one of the doubleheader and a 4-1 win in game two.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 1, 2020) – The Milligan College baseball team finished their Appalachian Athletic Conference three-game series opener against St. Andrews University Sunday afternoon and completed the series with a 7-2 win in game one of the doubleheader and a 4-1 win in game two.
Sunday afternoon's win moved the Buffs to an overall 11-6 (3-0 AAC) record.
Game one win
Garrett Wilkins got the start for game one and picked up his second win of the season, going six innings giving up six hits, two runs (both earned) walking three and striking out three. Cameron Bryson would come in for relief in the last three innings and hold the Knights to only one hit, one walk and three strikeouts to pick up his first save of the season.
St. Andrews got on the board first in the top of the fifth, but Milligan was quick to answer back by scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning. Blake Dutton with bases loaded got a base hit to left-center field to score Will Findley and Ben Grable. With Brandon Marello on third and Dutton on first, Dutton was able to get into a run down to allow Marello to score before being tagged out to end the inning and put the Buffs ahead 3-1.
St. Andrews cut Milligan's lead down by one from a sacrifice fly to right field by Jeremiah Hendrix in the top of the sixth, but that was all the scoring the Knights would do as Milligan would go on to add another run in the bottom of the sixth, seventh and two in the eighth.
Marello went 3-for-4, Findley went 2-for-2, Grable went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Dutton had two RBIs as well.
Game two series sweep
In game two, Milligan scored first in the bottom of the third off of a Juan Vasquez base hit through the hole between third and short to score Grable. St. Andrews tied the game up in the top of the fifth on a Dean Pulley sacrifice fly but Milligan added on three runs in the bottom of the inning and was able to prevent the Knights from scoring for the rest of the game to secure the win.
Milligan's run production in the bottom of the fifth came from a Chance Hall double down the right field line to score Grable and Dutton before Vasquez scored on a fielder's choice during Richard Polinsky's at bat.
Marello went the distance for the Buffs, throwing his first complete game and getting his first collegiate win. Marello only gave up three hits, one run (earned), one walk and six strikeouts. Vasquez went 2-for-3 with an RBI, Hall went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and both Dutton and Will Oliver went 1-for-3.
Up next
Milligan travels to Montreat College on Wednesday, March 4, for a midweek nonconference game. After that the Buffs will return home to host CIU in their second AAC series of the year. The three-game set against CIU is scheduled for next weekend, March 6-7.