LAURINBURG, N.C. (April 20, 2018) â€" Thomas Miller recorded three hits, Garrett Hartley pitched eight solid innings, and the Milligan College baseball team won the opener of a three-game Appalachian Athletic Conference series against St. Andrews, 9-1, Friday afternoon.
 
Miller's day included the eventual game-winning RBI in the first inning as Milligan improved to 18-24 (11-11 AAC).
 
BUFFS STRIKE FIRST IN BIG WAY
Chris Patterson put the Buffs on top first, in the top of the first, with an RBI single which gave Milligan the lead for good. It was the tail end of back-to-back-to-back singles with one out as Jascanel Ferreras scored to make it 1-0. Miller followed with a sacrifice fly, then Brandon Laboy rounded out the big first inning with a two-RBI double to left field, scoring Patterson and Bailey Russell.
 
HARTLEY CONTROLS THE REST OF THE WAY
With a big lead by the time he made his first pitch, Hartley was able to settle in quickly and pitch a gem. Hartley faced the minimum, allowing only one hit, over the first three innings. He kept the Knights scoreless through five.
 
In the sixth and with Milligan ahead 6-0, St. Andrews looked to start a rally by putting runners on second and third with nobody out. However, a couple of ground balls and a strikeout looking helped Hartley end the inning with only one run of damage. He then went through the seventh and eighth facing the minimum, allowing only one walk.
 
PITCHING, BY THE NUMBERS
Hartley's winning line was eight innings, seven hits, one earned run, one walk and six strikeouts.
 
Connor Simpson finished the game with a three up, three down effort in the ninth, striking out one.
 
HITTING, BY THE NUMBERS
Miller's day included an RBI single in the eighth as Milligan added two more runs late in the game. With a 3-for-4 effort, Miller was one of four Buffs with multiple hits. Clayton Conner (2-for-5), Patterson (2-for-2) and Laboy (2-for-5) were the others.
 
Camron Harper, who entered the day on a 13-game hitting streak during which time he was 22-for-45 (.489), ended his streak with an 0-for-4 effort. Harper did walk twice and recorded an RBI on a walk in the seventh.
 
UP NEXT
Milligan and St. Andrews conclude the series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. Only three games remain on Milligan's regular season schedule after that, and they will all be part of a home series next Friday-Saturday as the Buffs host No. 23 Tennessee Wesleyan University in the regular season finale.