MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Feb. 19, 2016) â€" Austin Perry threw a four-hit shutout in game one and the Milligan College baseball team won one and lost one to Taylor University by scores of 3-0 and 7-6 Friday night under the lights of Anglin Field. The nightcap featured three extra innings and the Buffs were once again a base hit away from a doubleheader sweep.
 
Milligan (5-5) had a fifth-inning lead of 5-2 erased in game two as Taylor (2-4) scored a run in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to rally back. After the Trojans scored twice in the top of the 10th, Milligan had a chance to rally in the bottom of the 10th but fell short, scoring one but leaving the bases loaded to end the game.
 
Perry's complete game shutout in the series opener was his second complete game and first shutout of his Milligan career. He struck out three and walked two while conceding only four hits across seven innings. His only trouble came early on when Taylor put two on with two out in the first and runners on second and third with one out in the second. In each case, Perry pitched his way out of the danger.
 
Perry then went perfect through the third and fourth on 22 pitches, faced one over the minimum in the fifth and sixth, and once Milligan gave him a three-run cushion in the sixth, Perry needed just five pitches to close out a perfect seventh.
 
Perry (2-1) lowered his ERA to a team-best 1.37. He has 12 strikeouts and is limiting opposing hitters to a .183 average so far this season.
 
Offensively, Shane Salley broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth of game one with a base hit to right field which brought home Nate Clifton from third. Three pitches later, Justin Pearson made it 3-0 with a single to left, scoring Bryan Soto and Salley.
 
Salley had a big hit in game two as well, doubling to left-center field in the fourth to drive home Soto and tie the game at 2-2. Milligan went on to score four runs in the inning and took a 5-2 lead, with RBI hits coming from Thomas Miller and Hunter Suggs. Suggs' base hit scored two and looked to put the game out of reach until Taylor chipped away over the last three innings.
 
Salley went 3-for-6 in the nightcap after going 1-for-3 in the opener, finishing the doubleheader with three runs and two RBI's. Suggs was 3-for-3 with an RBI and three other Buffs earned multiple hits in the nightcap.
 
Milligan and Taylor will finish the four-game series with another doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 20, starting at 1 p.m. After that, the Buffs will be on the road over next weekend and return home March 5 for their Appalachian Athletic Conference opener, scheduled for March 5.