MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (April 26, 2014) â€" What started off as a promising look at an AAC sweep of Montreat College turned into a spoiled afternoon for the Milligan College baseball team as the Buffaloes were swept by scores of 4-3 and 5-0 Saturday at Anglin Field in the final home series of the regular season.
 
The Buffs (22-24, 12-14 AAC) were in control and well on their way to a series-clinching victory in game one until Montreat (20-27, 10-15 AAC) rallied with two runs in the seventh to take the lead. The Cavaliers benefited from three of their seven game-one hits in that inning, including an infield bunt single and a squeeze play that plated the winning run.
 
Starting pitcher Tyler Wilson had given up only two hits over the previous four innings until running into the trouble in the final frame. He was removed after Montreat lead-off man Lance Gower bunted runners to second and third to set up the scoring threat. Jake Howell, who was brought in Wilson's relief, gave up a run-scoring single followed by Cody Reid's squeeze bunt before getting the final two outs.
 
Wilson went 6 1/3 innings, striking out six while walking only one. He gave up six hits and four earned runs and suffered the loss. Entering the seventh, he had retired 10 of the previous 12 batters he faced.
 
Milligan fell behind 2-0 after the first two innings as Kendall Hooks singled home a pair of runs with one out in the second. An inning later, Corey McPherson and Edwin Soto answered with RBI-base hits to give Milligan the lead. Soto's base hit came on a 1-2 pitch and scored two.
 
McPherson and Soto finished game one 2-for-3 to pace a Milligan offense that was held to just the four hits.
 
Game two (5-0, Montreat)
 
Montreat again jumped into the early lead in game two. With one out and runners on second and third in the third inning, Gower singled to score one then came across the plate two batters later on a sacrifice fly. Travis Fetter hit an RBI-double to score the second of three runs in the inning.
 
Montreat added a run on two hits in both the fifth and seventh innings. The Cavaliers' run in the seventh was aided by two of the three errors committed by Milligan in game two.
 
Offensively, the Buffs were held to one hit which came off the bat of Hunter Carpenter with two out in the bottom of the second. Montreat starting pitcher Dakotah Thomas fanned 10 and walked four over the seven-inning complete game. The right-hander allowed only one runner past first base.
 
Milligan will close out the regular season on Wednesday, April 30 against St. Andrews University in the rescheduled series finale.