Buffs defeat Bryan 7-1

Buffs defeat Bryan 7-1

Milligan, Tenn. (February 26, 2022) — The Milligan University baseball team defeated Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) opponent Bryan College 7-1 in game one of Saturday's doubleheader matchup. 

Game two was suspended in the top of the fourth inning due to inclement weather with the Buffs leading 1-0.

The Buffs remain undefeated in AAC play as they picked up their 13th win (fourth conference win) while Bryan fell to 6-9 (2-2 AAC).

The Buffs got the scoring started in the bottom half of the first on a single up the middle by Logan Hullette. Hullette's base hit plated Brandon Marello who led off the inning with a base on balls.

Four walks in the top of the second inning led the Lions to their only score of the ballgame. In the bottom half of the inning, Milligan answered with a run of their own after Bryan walked in a runner with the bases loaded. The Buffs started the second with back-to-back singles by Eric Rigsby and Andrew Mathias before a sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position with one out. Following a strikeout, Justin Greene took a four-pitch walk as he picked up the RBI on Milligan's only run of the inning.

Marello led off the home half of the fifth with a triple into left center field. He later scored on a one-out double down the left field line by Braden Spano. Ben Grable, pinch-running for Spano, picked up the Buff's second run of the inning after Logan Hullette singled to center; resulting in the Lion's centerfielder overthrowing the cutoff man to allow the run to cross the plate.

After a 1-2-3 top of the sixth, the Buffs pushed across two more runs in the bottom half to take a 6-1 lead. Robert Salcedo drew a base on balls with two outs, stole second base, and later scored on a two-RBI double down the right field line by Justin Greene.

Two seventh-inning errors led to Milligan picking up their eighth and final run of the ballgame. After Hullette led the bottom half of the seventh off with a walk, a dropped fly ball and misplayed bunt resulted in the run coming into score. The Buff's finished off the remainder of the game quietly in the eighth and ninth to go home with the 8-1 victory.

Andrei Beal, in another solid outing, threw six and a third innings for the Buffs as he took sole command as the strikeout leader in the NAIA. Beal struck out nine in Saturday's contest while only allowing one hit and one earned as he picked up his fourth win of the 2022 season. Brock Browning picked up his fifth save of the season in relief. 

Seven Buffalo starters recorded a hit in game one, including a team-high two by Hullette, who also had two RBIs. Justin Greene led Milligan in the RBI category with three after a bases loaded walk and two-run double. Marello scored a team-high three runs on the day while adding one hit and two base on balls in his five trips to the plate.