WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. (April 18, 2018) â€" Clayton Conner hit a three-run homer and delivered in two clutch situations late in the game while Dustin Cole pitched through a couple of key situations, all to help the Milligan College baseball team defeat No. 13 University of the Cumberlands in game two of a split doubleheader Wednesday night. Cumberlands won the first game 8-1 but Milligan responded with an 8-5 win in extra innings in the nightcap.
 
The win for Milligan improved the Buffs to 17-24 (10-11 AAC) and snapped a 10-game winning streak for Cumberlands (40-5). In fact, the Patriots, who had defeated Milligan twice earlier this season, had won 36 of their last 37 games. This marked Milligan's third win over an NAIA national top-25 team in the last three weeks.
 
CONNER'S BIG HITS
Conner had the go-ahead RBI in the top of the ninth inning in game two along with two other key at-bats which helped Milligan force extra innings. In the top of the third, he gave Milligan a 4-1 lead with his team leading fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot to left field.
 
Conner, who ended game two 3-for-4 with five RBI's and two runs, was the one to force the game into the eighth by hitting a sacrifice fly to right center field in the top of the eighth, scoring Camron Harper. Cumberlands had scored three runs in the fifth to help fight back into the game and led 5-4 at that point.
 
After Conner's sacrifice fly, the senior put the Buffs into the lead for good with an RBI double with one out in the ninth. It scored Hunter Suggs who had singled to lead the inning off and went to second on a productive out from Harper.
 
KEY SUPPORTING ROLES
Chris Patterson followed Conner's lead-taking double with a double of his own two pitches later, scoring two.
 
Bryan Soto provided the Buffs with the first run in the second inning when he doubled home Brandon Laboy.
 
COLE'S BIG OUTS
Cole pitched the final three and two-thirds innings, scattering three hits and a walk while striking out two. Cole entered in the bottom of the sixth with one out and the bases loaded in a 5-4 ballgame but stymied the threat with a shallow flyout followed by a strikeout.
 
Cole was effective in ending Cumberlands threats in the eighth and ninth as well. In the eighth, he saw the Patriots put the winning run on second but navigated through the situation by getting a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. In the ninth and with Milligan up 8-5, the Patriots led the inning off with two base hits and eventually loaded the bases with one out, but the senior forced a groundout then fought back from a 2-0 count to strike out the final batter looking.
 
GAME TWO, BY THE NUMBERS
Jascanel Ferreras joined Conner in the multihit column with a 2-for-4 effort. Five other Buffs recorded a hit in the nightcap as the Buffs had 10 as a group.
 
Chase Marine made the start and went the first four and two-thirds innings. He allowed four hits and eight walks on the way to the Patriots scoring four runs. Nathan Atkinson made a relief effort prior to Cole and recorded two outs, the last out of the fifth and the first out of the sixth.
 
HARPER'S STREAK CONTINUES
Harper went 1-for-3 in game one and 1-for-4 in game two, extending his current hitting streak to 13 games. Milligan's hitting leader at .391 for the season, Harper is 22-for-45 (.489) during the last 13 games.
 
GAME ONE IN SUM
Cumberlands got on the board first in the third inning on a two-run homer and led the rest of the way. Patterson cut the deficit in half in the following inning with his fourth homer of the season, but the Patriots scored again in each of their next three innings, including three times in the fifth.
 
Milligan starter Chandler Daniels went the first four innings and suffered the loss as he allowed seven hits and five runs with three strikeouts. Mike Perez pitched the last two innings for Milligan and gave up four hits and two runs.
 
UP NEXT
Milligan stays on the road to finish its regular season road slate with a trip to Appalachian Athletic Conference foe St. Andrews University. Teams are scheduled to play a single game Friday followed by a doubleheader Saturday to fill the three-game series. Milligan has won each of the last three AAC series.