Buffs win CIU series, move to top of AAC
Late-inning scoring in game one and a gem from Brandon Marello in game two led the Milligan College baseball team to a doubleheader sweep and the series win over visiting Columbia International University Saturday night at TVA Credit Union Ballpark. After losing to CIU 7-4 in the series opener Friday night, Milligan won 6-3 and 3-1 Saturday to conclude the series.
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CIU
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
|
Milligan
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CIU
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
|
Milligan
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 0 |
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CIU
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 3 |
|
Milligan
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (March 7, 2020) – Late-inning scoring in game one and a gem from Brandon Marello in game two led the Milligan College baseball team to a doubleheader sweep and the series win over visiting Columbia International University Saturday night at TVA Credit Union Ballpark. After losing to CIU 7-4 in the series opener Friday night, Milligan won 6-3 and 3-1 Saturday to conclude the series.
The Buffs rallied back from behind three times to win both games of Saturday's twin bill.
Game One | Milligan 6, CIU 3
CIU jumped out front with two runs in the first inning of the first game, but the Buffs would hold them to only two more runs the rest of the day. Chance Hall tied game one up 2-2 with a two-run homer, his second of the season, in the bottom of the first, and after CIU again took the lead with a run in the sixth, Milligan again bounced back with four runs in the last two frames.
A Kirby Smith triple off the top of the wall in deep left-center field drove in Kobe Miles to tie the game, and Will Oliver delivered the go-ahead RBI with a single to shallow left center in the next at-bat. Milligan then went on to tack on two more runs in the eighth, the first on a wild pitch by CIU and the second on an Augustus Fraley ground ball.
Garrett Wilkins and Brock Browning shared the pitching load and combined to scatter seven hits and strike out nine. Wilkins allowed only three hits and struck out six in the first five innings before turning it over to Browning who went the last four innings allowing only four hits and striking out three.
Game Two | Milligan 3, CIU 1
CIU again jumped out to an early lead with a run in the top of the first, but starting pitcher Marello would settle in to keep the Rams scoreless the rest of the way. In fact, the run came around to score after an error as Marello finished with a line of seven innings, four hits, one (unearned) run, one walk and eight strikeouts, his second complete game.
Marello tied the game himself in the bottom of the first, crossing the plate on a passed ball, before driving in the go-ahead run an inning later when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Milligan then rounded out the scoring in the fourth with an insurance run scored by Tyler Dimon, pinch running for Smith who doubled to lead the inning off.
Up next
Milligan plays at home in a midweek nonconference game against King before returning home next weekend for a three-game AAC set against Point.