MOBILE, Ala. – The Spring Hill College (SHC) baseball team swept away both ends of a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) doubleheader from the Claflin University (CU) Panthers by the scores of 4-0 and 6-4 at historic Stan Galle Field on Saturday afternoon.
 
In the opener, Badger starter AJ Fell improved to 3-1 on the year with a complete-game shutout of the Panthers (15-30, 11-7 SIAC East), allowing just three hits with no walks and three strikeouts in just 67 pitches.
 
Freshman right fielder Grayson Williams put the Badgers up 1-0 in the 1^st inning off a rocket homer out of left field with one out then designated hitter Hunter Romero scrambled home via an infield error in the 2^nd inning. Senior first baseman Keaton Smith dropped a two-run blast just over the left field fence in the 3^rd inning to finish the SHC scoring, but Fell would need no more insurance. Catcher Brennan Fontenot had two hits with a double while Romero rattled two doubles around the park.
 
In the nightcap, SHC twice rallied to come from behind to take a 6-4 win as senior reliever Steven Saucier (2-1) picked up the win with a 3-up, 3-down half of the 6^th inning and fellow senior Rob Ewald earned his seventh save of 2018 with a hitless 7^th inning. Ewald's save moved him into second place on both the Spring Hill single season and career saves list.
 
Claflin held a 2-1 lead in the 4^th inning, but the Badgers responded with a game-tying single to left field by catcher Neil Ring to bring in center fielder Justin Collier followed by a go-ahead RBI-single by left fielder Luke Wall to score Ring.
 
The Panthers put two more runs on the board in the 5^th inning when second baseman Justin Parnell scored from 3^rd base off a wild pitch and first baseman Eric McElveen singled past 2^nd base to plate right fielder Darrell Langston. SHC would tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the frame when shortstop John Sklopan brought in Williams with a single back up the box.
 
After Saucier sat the Panthers down in order in the 6^th inning, SHC would go ahead for good in the bottom of the stanza after senior second baseman Brandon Donoghue selflessly pushed third baseman Mason Bonnaffons to 2^nd base with a sacrifice bunt that was followed by a double to left-center by Williams with two outs to score Bonnaffons. Williams later scored the final run of the year off an infield error by the Panthers to set up Ewald's save.
 
Badger starter Will Shaw went four innings with six hits, no walks and two strikeouts while Eric Dubose fell to 1-6 for Claflin with a complete-game loss, giving up seven hits and four walks with one strikeout.
 
In their final season of transition to NCAA Division II, the Badgers ended 2018 with a 27-17 overall record and an 18-1 mark in the SIAC West Division. Spring Hill will be eligible for postseason play and awards in all sports beginning with the fall semester schedules of 2018.