MOBILE, Ala. – The Spring Hill College baseball team swept a conference doubleheader against visiting Tuskegee University this afternoon. The Badgers took game one 9-5 and won game two 4-3 to sweep the three-game series.
Spring Hill is now 13-9 and 10-2 in the SIAC, while the Tigers fall to 7-12 and 5-6 in the conference.
Spring Hill is on the road on Tuesday when they face the University of Montevallo. First pitch is set for 2 pm.
Game 1: Spring Hill 9, Tuskegee 5
Spring Hill wasted no time getting on the board after a scoreless first two innings.
Jordan Black belted a two-run home run that scored
Jatnier Torres to put the Badgers up 2-0 in the bottom of the third.
The Tigers in the fourth plated a pair of runs to tie the game, but the Badgers answered in the bottom of the fourth. With one down,
Robby Lopez was hit by the pitch and later moved to second when
David King walked. Torres loaded the bases full of Badgers following his walk. Lopez later scored off Black's sacrifice fly to center to make it 3-2. Torres and King each moved up 90 feet on the play. King later came around to score on a wild pitch to push the lead to 4-2 before the inning ended.
Tuskegee added a run in the fifth to cut the lead to one, but Spring Hill got the run back in the bottom half to go up 5-3.
The Badgers added three in the seventh and one in the eighth to take a 9-3 lead.
The Tigers attempted to rally as they plated two runs in the ninth to make it 9-5, but that is as close as they would get.
Torres led Spring Hill at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two walks, an RBI, a double, and a run scored.
Teammate
Andrew Juez finished the game going 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
Black tallied a game-high three RBIs and a home run.
Starting pitcher
Garrett Lott picked up his first win (1-0) of the season. He allowed five hits over six innings of work, giving up three runs, while fanning a game-high seven.
Reliever
Nathaniel Helton earned his first save of the season. He went three innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out four.
Game 2: Spring Hill 4, Tuskegee 3 – 7 inns.
Spring Hill in game two looked to go for the series sweep, but the Tigers had other plans as they plated three runs on three hits, with one being a home run in the top of the third to go up 3-0.
The Badgers, in their half of the third, did not waste time as they got two of the runs back. Black started things off with a double to center and later scored when
Jaylen Jones belted an RBI double to center as well. Jones was able to take third on a wild pitch with no outs.
John Webb took first after being hit and then stole second to put both runners in scoring position.
Gavin Moran loaded the bases after he was walked.
Andrew Juez cut the lead to 3-2 when he drove in Jones off a sacrifice fly to center.
Both teams for the next three and a half innings would go scoreless as the Badgers headed to the bottom of the seventh for their final at-bats.
Down to their final three outs, Jones opened the inning with a double, which forced Tuskegee to go to the bullpen. He then took third off a wild pitch. Webb was walked on four straight pitches and then stole second to put both runs in scoring position. Jones came across to score off of Moran's RBI sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at three. Webb was able to move to third on the play, and then, on a wild pitch, he was able to score the game-winning run.
Jones finished the contest going 3-for-4 with an RBI, two doubles, and two runs scored.
Torres, Black, and Juez each tallied a hit.
Starting pitcher Ray Ocha went the distance as he threw a complete game, allowing six hits over seven innings of work while giving up three and striking out six. He improved to 2-0 on the season.
