MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (March 4, 2018) â€" The Milligan College baseball team scored a run in the seventh, two in the eighth, and had the tying run in scoring position in the ninth but ultimately fell short, 5-4, in the deciding game of an Appalachian Athletic Conference series finale against Montreat College Sunday afternoon on Anglin Field.
 
MONTREAT'S EARLY ADVANTAGE
Starting pitcher Garrett Hartley suffered the loss despite pitching effectively from the second through the fifth. A slow start from the freshman saw Montreat score two runs on one hit and one error in the top of the first inning, then Montreat expanded the lead to 5-1 in the top of the sixth, taking advantage of back to back doubles off reliever Chandler Daniels. Daniels relieved Hartley in the sixth.
 
MILLIGAN'S WOULD-BE COMEBACK
With Montreat ahead 5-1, it set up the would-be comeback. Milligan scored its run in the seventh on a Cameron Harper groundout, then the Buffs scored two in the eighth as Thomas Miller singled to right field to bring home Bailey Russell and Ryan Young. Russell and Young were both in scoring position after reaching on a hit batter and walk, respectively, and after Chris Patterson bunted them over one base.
 
In the ninth, Jascanel Ferreras reached on another hit batter with one out. This was followed by a Clayton Conner infield single to put the tying run on second and winning run on first. However, Montreat escaped the inning on a nicely turned double play up the middle.
 
LEADERS
Garrett Dalton and Hunter Suggs paced Milligan's offense with two hits apiece. Suggs was 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI and a run, along with a walk and a sacrifice bunt. His double came in the bottom of the second inning and cut Montreat's lead in half as he drove home Patterson with two out.
 
Miller was 1-for-4 with two RBI's.
 
On the hill, Connor Simpson pitched well over the final three innings. He kept Montreat scoreless and hitless with one walk and one strikeout to keep the Buffs close during the seventh, eighth, and ninth.
 
UP NEXT
Milligan will hit the road for its next five games, including a three-game AAC series next Friday-Saturday at Truett-McConnell University. The Buffs will be back home on Tuesday, March 13, for a nonconference doubleheader against University of the Cumberlands.