Bishop Helps (RV) Buffs Baseball Salvage a Triumph at Reinhardt on Saturday

WALESKA, Ga. - After a difficult start to the weekend on Friday, the (RV) Milligan baseball squad was able to salvage one of the their three games over the weekend against No. 6 Reinhardt, falling 6-4 in the first tilt on Saturday but winning 4-1 in the seven-inning series finale.

The Eagles scored the first four runs of the game in the first contest, with three coming in the second inning and one in the fourth.

Milligan would respond with one run in the top of the sixth, as Braxton Baird scored on a passed ball. They would tack on yet another in the seventh, as a Bryce Burkey RBI single scored Miller Spence to make it 4-2 for the hosts.

The Buffaloes would erase the lead in the top of the eighth, as a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch of Gaven Jones brought home Angle Lobo for the first run, and a Josh Carrico pinch-hit RBI single tied the game, as Cade Kalehuawehe came in to score.

Unfortunately, Reinhardt had a two-run bomb in the bottom of the eighth, which was ultimately enough to earn them the 6-4 victory.

Game two's script was much more favorable, as Milligan scored twice in the very first inning to take their first lead of the series. Nick Iezzi laced an RBI double to score Lobo, and was followed by Josh Lail, who singled to bring Iezzi home.

Lail's second run-scoring single of the day came in the top of the third, as he drove in Kalehuawehe on the latter occasion. 

The Eagles would get one back on a run-scoring single in the bottom of the third, but the Buffs erased that tally in the top of the fourth on an RBI two-base hit down the left-field line to score Spence, making it 4-1.

That is where the score would stay, as the Buffaloes were able to pick up one Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) win on the weekend.

Kalehuawehe had a total of five hits in eight at-bats in the day, while posting a double, an RBI and a stolen base. Baird, Lail and Jones each had three combined hits across the two games, while Lobo and Iezzi both had a pair of knocks.

The game one pitching performance by the Buffaloes was not a bad one, as Spencer Rife gave a good five innings to the team. He allowed four runs on five hits while walking two. Jacob Poe afforded Reinhardt two runs on two hits in two innings of work and was saddled with the loss. Austin Maxey threw one scoreless in the eighth.

Jacob Bishop put on a masterclass yet again from the slab, twirling a seven-inning complete game en route to a win in the latter tilt. He allowed only one earned run on four hits and walked three while punching out two hitters. He now moves to 4-0 on the season with a sterling 1.64 ERA.

The Buffaloes remain on the road for next weekend's AAC series against Pikeville, as their Mar. 14-15 set will occur in the State of Kentucky. Friday's bout will start at 3 p.m.