Buffs drop AAC series against Point

WEST POINT, GA. (April 16, 2022) — The Milligan University baseball team was defeated 6-4 in the final game of the three-game series with Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) opponent Point University on Saturday afternoon.

Milligan falls to 31-16 (17-7 AAC) with two series left to play in the 2022 season while Point climbs to 21-18 (16-8 AAC).

The Buffs threatened to score the game's first run in the top of the first after advancing two baserunners into scoring position with no outs. Back-to-back singles from Brandon Marello and Anthony Guzman got the inning started before Justin Greene moved both runners up 90 feet with a sacrifice bunt. A pop-out to first and ground out to the pitcher ended the frame for the Milligan offense.

Josh Lail led the top of the second off with a double to right center and advanced to third on an error from the Skyhawk pitcher. Logan Hullette then scored Lail the following at bat with an RBI-groundout to second base. Robert Salcedo doubled down the left field line with one out in the inning but could not make his way around the bases as a fly out to left and center field ended the inning.

The Skyhawks picked up two runs in the bottom of the second inning with a two-run homer. After the first two batters were sat down via fly out, Point singled up the middle and followed up with a blast over the wall to take a 2-1 lead.

Point pushed across three more runs in the bottom of the third on four hits. After the leadoff hitter doubled to left field, the Buffs sat down the next two hitters with pop-outs to the infield. A two-out RBI-doble followed by a home run gave the Skyhawks a 5-1 lead through the first three innings.

Milligan trimmed the deficit to three runs in the top of the sixth with two hits in the inning. Braden Spano leadoff with a double to left before Eric Rigsby moved him up to third base with a sacrifice bunt. Lail then ripped an RBI-double to left field to bring Spano home. A flyout to center and pop out to second base ended the inning for the Buffs.

Two more Milligan runs on four hits in the top of the eighth trimmed the Skyhawk lead to just one with one more chance to take the lead in the top of the ninth. Spano drew a leadoff walk before pinch runner, Logan Estep, moved into scoring position with no outs on an error from the Point pitcher. Rigsby then doubled to left in the next at-bat to collect the RBI as Estep came around to score. An infield single from Lail moved Rigsby up to third base before a perfect bunt on a squeeze play was executed from Augustus Fraley made it a 5-4 ballgame.