Marello, Buffs blow past Concordia, 14-5
Brandon Marello pitched six shutout innings and the Milligan University offense came to life with 14 runs in a 14-5 shellacking of Concordia University Sunday afternoon in a nonconference game at TVA Credit Union Ballpark.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hillsdale
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 2 |
|
Milligan
|
0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Concordia (MI)
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
|
Milligan
|
0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | X | 14 | 15 | 1 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hillsdale
|
0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 1 |
|
Milligan
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 1 |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Feb. 21, 2021) – Brandon Marello pitched six shutout innings and the Milligan University offense came to life with 14 runs in a 14-5 shellacking of Concordia University Sunday afternoon in a nonconference game at TVA Credit Union Ballpark.
After Milligan's pitching staff combined for a Milligan record 20 strikeouts in a loss to Hillsdale the night before, Marello picked up where his cohorts left off, fanning a career-high 10 in Sunday's victory.
Marello faced only five over the minimum with a winning line of six innings, five hits, no runs, three walks and 10 strikeouts. Milligan led 9-0 when he exited after the sixth, and the Buffaloes' bats even widened the margin after his departure.
High scoring in the early, middle innings
Milligan (6-3) jumped out front for good with four runs in the third inning. Anthony Guzman had the go-ahead two-RBI single to left, then a Justin Greene double and Braden Spano ground ball scored two more in the same inning.
Robert Salcedo made it 5-0 with an RBI double off the top of the left-field wall in the fifth.
Milligan then scored four more runs in the sixth, the bulk of the damage coming on a Greene two-RBI single with two out. In fact, Milligan scored all four sixth-inning runs after two were out.
Milligan rounded out the scoring in the seventh with another big inning. Marello, having moved to the DH spot, had an RBI single and scored on a bases-loaded walk, and Guzman and Greene also had another RBI in the inning.
Game totals
Five Buffs registered multihit games, led by Guzman (3-for-5) and Ben Grable (3-for-4). Greene went 2-for-4 with four RBI's, and Marello, Guzman and Grable all scored three times.
The Buffs hit four doubles in the win, coming from Salcedo, Greene, Spano and Grable.
After Concordia bounced back with five runs in the top of the eighth, Brian Baxa closed the final door with a three-strikeout effort over the last inning and a third. He faced the minimum and did not allow a ball out of the infield.
Saturday's record-breaking strikeout performance
Milligan was swept in a twin bill against Hillsdale Saturday night but set a new strikeout record with 20 K's in the 12-inning affair. Freshman Cobey Allison made the start and fanned 11 before Graham Hooker (one), Colin Wagner (one) and Jacob Crumbly (seven) combined for the other nine.
It bested the old mark of 19 set in 1968.
Up next
Milligan hits the road for the next two and a half weeks, starting with a trip to Knoxville for a midweek nonconference clash with the Johnson Royals. The Buffs will start Appalachian Athletic Conference play next weekend, heading to Truett McConnell.