Buffs drop Bluefield series 5-4 in finale
A big come-from-behind win in the middle game of the series looked to give the Milligan University baseball team momentum heading into the finale, but the Buffaloes narrowly lost game three of its series against Bluefield to drop the series 2-1. Milligan lost game one 10-2, won game two 10-8, then lost game three 5-4.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Milligan
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 1 |
|
Bluefield
|
4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 2 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Milligan
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 3 |
|
Bluefield
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
Game 3
Game 3
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Milligan
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 1 |
|
Bluefield
|
5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 2 |
BLUEFIELD, Va. (March 6, 2021) – A big come-from-behind win in the middle game of the series looked to give the Milligan University baseball team momentum heading into the finale, but the Buffaloes narrowly lost game three of its series against Bluefield to drop the series 2-1. Milligan lost game one 10-2, won game two 10-8, then lost game three 5-4.
Smith's three-run blast lifts Buffs in middle game
Kirby Smith hit a three-run home run to left to help Milligan erase a big deficit and win the middle game of the series. It came with one out in the ninth inning in a tie ballgame after Milligan had stormed back from a 7-2 hole in the seventh. It also set up a rubber game for the nightcap of the doubleheader, but the Buffs would lose that game 5-4 to drop the series.
Milligan's big seventh inning featured an Anthony Guzman RBI single, Braden Spano two-RBI double and Casey Haire RBI single as the Buffs put up five runs on four hits.
Bluefield's five-run sixth leads Rams to win in rubber game
Like game two of the series, Milligan again had the first lead, although it did not come until the fourth inning when Chancery Hall, Justin Greene and Smith hit a trio of singles to put the Buffs on top 2-0. Greene tripled two innings later and came home on a sacrifice from Haire, but everything came unraveled in the bottom of the sixth as Bluefield plated five runs on three hits and three errors.
Despite the first two getting out in the last inning, Milligan pushed one more run across in the seventh and had two runners on but fell short.
Friday's early lead not enough
Milligan also had the early lead in game one of the series Friday night but wound up giving up five runs in the bottom of the first on the way to a 10-2 defeat. Guzman and Chancery Hall both produced multiple hits.
One of Guzman's drove in a Milligan run in the top of the first and one of Hall's drove in a run in the top of the eighth, but that would be all the scoring for the Buffs in the series opener.
Up next
Milligan travels to University of the Cumberlands next Tuesday for a midweek doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. The Buffaloes will be home next weekend, hosting Kentucky Christian in a return to AAC action.