Baseball falls late at Carson-Newman

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. (February 7, 2023) – The Milligan University baseball team battled back from an early deficit to tie the game before an eighth-inning run dealt the Buffs a 4-3 nonconference defeat at Carson-Newman 4-3 on Tuesday afternoon.

Milligan fell to 4-1 on the year while Carson-Newman rose to 2-3 on the season.

The Eagles raced out to an early 3-0 lead as the hosts scored on a throwing error, RBI double and two-out run-scoring single. After that early opening salvo, starting pitcher Ian Weil and reliever Austin Maxey held Carson-Newman hitless the next seven innings, retiring 19 of 20 batters from the first through eighth innings.

The Buffs brought the edge to 3-1 in the top of the fourth as Anthony Guzman scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Logan Hullette.

In the fifth, Brandon Marello led off the inning with a base hit and stole second base. Casey Haire drove in Marello with a double to left field. The next batter, Braden Spano, doubled to center field and Haire was thrown out at the plate. With two outs, Angel Lobo knocked in Spano to tie the game at three.

Logan Hullette became the first Buff to reach after a fielder's choice to second base in the fourth. In the top of the fifth, Brandon Marello led the inning off with a single to right center. Casey Haire gave the Buffs the first double of the night after his hit to left field that scored Marello.

In the bottom of the fifth, Maxey replaced Weil and proceeded to retire nine straight Eagles. In the sixth, Lobo made a diving catch in left field to rob Carson Newman of an extra base hit.

The Buffs started the eighth with a leadoff single by Lobo, his third hit of the day, however a strikeout and double play kept the score tied at three.

In the bottom of the eight, the Eagles finally broke through with their first hit since the first inning. The baserunner was quickly erased as the Buffs turned a 6-4-3 double play.

Despite having two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the eight, Carson-Newman scratched across the game-winning run with a single and three walks to give the hosts a 4-3 edge.

Leading off the ninth, pinch hitter Vicente Mendoza smacked a surefire base hit through the left side, but suffered an injury leaving the batter's box and was not able to make it to first base, resulting in an out. After Marello walked, a pair of ground balls ended the game.

Angel Lobo had three hits for Buffs while Jack Sutton had two. Haire, Spano and Sutton each had a double on the night. Marello reached base safely three times with a base hit and two walks. 

Three different Milligan pitcher saw action tonight. Weil had four hits and one strikeout through four. Maxey did not allow a baserunner until his fourth inning of work. Chance Hall came in to relieve Maxey and recorded the last out for the Buffs.

Milligan hosts Shawnee State this weekend.