COLUMBIA, S.C. - The Spring Hill College baseball team picked up its third straight win and first conference win with a 14-9 victory over host Benedict College this afternoon. The Badgers are now 3-6 and 1-0 in the SIAC, while the Tigers drop to 0-1 and 0-1 in conference.
Trailing 4-3 after two innings, the Badgers plated a pair of runs on three hits and an error in the third. It started when Jatneir Torres doubled to left and later took third on a wild pitch. He then scored off of
John Webb's RBI single to tie the game at four. With one out,
Angel Rivera dropped down a bunt single to third that allowed Webb to take third. Rivera later stole second and then a fielder's choice that let
Andrew Juez to reach first while sending Rivera to third. Webb was thrown out at home on the play. The Badgers grabbed the lead when Rivera scored on an error by the catcher to go up 5-4 before the frame ended.
Spring Hill added a run in the fifth when
Gavin Moran singled home
Evan Kirk to add some insurance to make it 6-4.
The lead did not last long as the Tigers used a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to go up 7-6.
Spring Hill responded in the seventh when Juez gave the Badgers the lead again when he parked a two-run shot to make it 8-7. The scoring did not end there as Moran's sac-fly to center plated Kirk to push the lead to 9-7.
The Badgers added two more runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to take a 14-7 lead. Benedict pushed two runs across in its half of the ninth before falling 14-9.
Spring Hill tallied 14 hits and 12 walks as a team, while tallying six stolen bases.
Juez led the Badgers at the plate, going 3-for-6 with four RBIs, a run scored, and a home run. Teammate Torres finished the day going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and a double.
Reggie Cooper, Webb, and Rivera each finished with a pair of hits.
Starting pitcher
Ray Ochoa picked up his first win of the season (1-2). He allowed seven runs (four earned) on eight hits over six innings of work. He fanned five and walked one.
Spring Hill is back in action tomorrow when it faces Benedict in a doubleheader with game one starting at 10 a.m. (11 a.m. ET).
