Baseball splits Saturday doubleheader against Union

BARBOURVILLE, KY. (March 25, 2023) – The Milligan University baseball team split a doubleheader Saturday afternoon against Union. The first matchup ended in the Bulldogs favor, 9-4, while the second game ended with a 9-7 Buffs victory.

Records – Milligan moves to 17-14 overall and 7-11 in AAC (Appalachian Athletic Conference) games. Union shifts to 17-9-1 overall and 8-6 in AAC matchups.

Game 1 – Union 9, Milligan 4

The Bulldogs then opened scoring with an RBI-single to right center to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

In innings two through four Milligan bat through the lineup and picked up a trio of hits. However, the Buffs were unable to even the score up as they left a pair of runners on base.

The Bulldogs were able to improve their lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth with two outs with a home run to right field. Jimmy Gamboa was able to stop any further damage for the Buffs as he struck out the next batter and retired the inning.

Union once again improved their lead and made it 4-0 in the sixth as they grabbed a pair of runs. These runs came by way of a single to left field and third base, respectively.

After a double to left field by Braden Spano, Ty Yurkovich stepped on as a pinch runner. Jack Sutton was then able to hit an RBI-double to left field, giving the Buffs their first run of the game. The Buffs then loaded the bases after Brandon Marello was struck by a pitch and Andrew Mathias was walked. Hullette then grounded out to the first baseman but was able to drive home Sutton and cut the deficit to 4-2.

With a runner in scoring position, Union utilized an RBI-single to center field to extend the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh.

In the eighth inning, Sutton hit an RBI-single to center field to drive home Ryan Molinari. The bottom half inning began with a home run for the Bulldogs. This was followed up by a three-run home run just five batters later, giving them a 9-3 lead.

Angel Lobo was able to bring Hullette home and make it 9-4 after a bases loaded sac-fly to center. This was all the Buffs could afford though, as Molinari struck out swinging to end the game.

Caleb Berry, Casey Haire, Spano and Sutton each had multi-hit games for the Buffs.

Game 2 – Milligan 9, Union 7

The second game of the day started slow for both teams. Inning one saw the Bulldogs load the bases but leave all three runners stranded.

The Buffs had a runner on third in the top half of the second, but a groundout by Jaden Steagall to the pitcher retired the side. The Bulldogs opened scoring in their half with an RBI-single to center field that drove home the runner from second to take an early 1-0 lead.

After Kobe Miles came on as a courtesy runner for Hullette, he was able to able to steal second and reach third on a fly out to center field by Berry. He then tied the game thanks to an RBI-single from Anthony Guzman. The Buffs followed this up and took a 2-1 after a bases loaded walk saw Lobo reach home.

Union retook the lead in their half of the fourth after putting up five runs. These runs came from a 2-RBI single to left field, an RBI single to center field, and a 2-RBI single, respectively, making it 6-2.

Milligan responded quickly in the fifth as it utilized sac-fly to center field from Sutton to drive in Guzman. The Buffs took a 7-6 lead after four more runs were added after an error by left field allowed one run, and a bases-loaded double by Hullette to left saw the remaining three reach home plate.

With a pair of outs in the top of the sixth, Spano was walked. Sutton then stepped up to the plate and hit a two-RBI home run to extend the Buffs lead to 9-6.

Union used a double to left field and an RBI-single to right field to cut the deficit to 9-7, but were unable to get anything else going. Milligan avoided an AAC sweep at the hands of the Bulldogs with the two-run win.

Hullette went 2-3 with three RBI and a walk. Sutton also drove in three runs with his homer and sacrifice fly. Guzman had two hits, an RBI and run scored.

The Buffs utilized four pitchers in the win. Chance Hall picked up the victory as he did not allow a run in 2.1 innings. Creed Werker collected his second save of the season.

Milligan hosts No. 25 Cumberland on Wednesday.