MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (April 10, 2016) â€" The Buffaloes used RBI hits by Justin Pearson, Blake Dutton and Nelson Schneider to score four runs in the bottom of the first and take a 4-2 lead, but it was five runs in the top of the third for Union College that led to the Milligan College baseball team's 8-4 defeat Sunday afternoon at Anglin Baseball Field.
 
Dutton was responsible for three of the Buffs six hits as he finished 3-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI, and raised his batting average to .500 on the year. Pearson added a double in the first inning while stealing two bases in the third, and Hunter Suggs drew two walks and added a hit. Union was 5-for-5 in steals in the game while the Buffs were 4-for-4.
 
The two teams combined for six unearned runs on only four hits in the first inning, while both teams also benefited from leadoff errors in the first.  Next, the Bulldogs added a run in the second and scored five times before recording an out in the third. Union's big third inning featured a two-run double and the second two-run home run of the game by Ronnie Healy, both to right, to give him six on the season.
 
Pearson and Dutton teamed up in the bottom of the third to try and help the Buffs get back into it with a leadoff walk, a single, and a double steal to put two runners in scoring position with nobody out, but a fly out and two groundouts ended the Milligan threat. In addition to Pearson and Dutton, Suggs had the Buffs remaining steal.
 
Luke Spaulding and Hunter Townsend combined to pitch seven solid innings in relief of Wyatt Richardson (1-2). Spaulding went four innings and Townsend went three, and both gave up only two hits and one walk while Spaulding seduced two double plays and Townsend struck out four batters.
 
The three game sweep for Milligan (17-20 overall, 8-10 AAC) represented its second straight sweep in Appalachian Athletic Conference play. Union (22-18, 10-8) earned its third straight conference sweep and ninth straight conference victory.
 
Next up, the Buffs travel to Point University for a single game starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 15, and a 12 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, April 16. Milligan returns home on Tuesday, April 19, to battle the University of the Cumberlands in a 4 p.m. doubleheader.