HARDEEVILLE, S.C. (Feb. 1, 2019) â€" Freshman Chance Hall provided the offensive firepower driving home four runs as the Milligan College baseball team split a doubleheader with USC Beaufort on opening day of the 2019 season Friday at the Richard Gray Sports Complex. The Buffaloes (1-1) rallied from a 5-3 deficit in the seventh inning to win game two 6-5 but dropped game one 8-7 despite a late surge.
 
SMART BASERUNNING PROPELS BUFFS IN GAME TWO
After rallying for three runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game at five, a double steal in the top of the eighth by Blake Dutton and Camron Harper led to the game winning run. A fielding error by the third baseman on the throw allowed Harper to advance home on the double steal, which was all the Buffs needed to pull out the win.
 
Freshman Will Queen (1-0) picked up the win for Milligan tossing two innings of shutout baseball and striking out four Sand Sharks (1-1). Queen worked around danger in the bottom of the seventh as he stranded the potential game winning run on third base by striking out Beaufort's Nick DelBianco looking to end the inning. The freshman then pitched a 1-2-3 eighth with the final two outs coming via the strikeout.
 
The Buffs found themselves in an early 3-0 hole after the first inning but were able to rally in the seventh. Milligan faced a 5-2 deficit heading into the seventh but would not go quietly into the night. Dutton led off the inning with a single and later came around to score on a Chayse Frye RBI single to cut the lead to 5-3. Juan Vasquez advanced to third on the Frye single after reaching base via an error by the Sand Shark shortstop.
 
The next two batters for Milligan failed to reach base setting up the stage for the freshman Hall. Hall hit a slow chopper down the first base line and the first baseman and pitcher collided allowing both runs to score tying the contest at five apiece. That would be all for the Buffs in the inning, but the damage had been done.
 
Frye and Dutton went 3-for-4 in the game with Frye driving in two runs and Dutton scoring two runs. Hall finished the contest 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
 
LATE RALLY FALLS SHORT IN GAME ONE
Trailing 8-4 heading into the seventh and final inning, the Buffs looked to make one final rally as the first four batters of the frame all reached base. Harper opened the inning by reaching on a hit by pitch and Dutton followed with a single to right field, putting runners on the corner.
 
Vasquez drove home Harper on an RBI single and then advanced to second on a passed ball to make it 8-5 Beaufort. After a walk loaded the bases, Hall stepped up to the plate with one out and delivered a two-RBI single to trim the Sand Shark lead to 8-7. That would be all for the Buffs though as the rally fell short and a fielder's choice ended the contest.
 
Five different Buffaloes registered an RBI in game one led by Hall with two. Vasquez, Kirby Smith, Braden Jones and Queen all plated a run apiece.
 
Milligan jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the second as they compiled four consecutive singles with two outs. The advantage would not last for long though as the Sand Sharks scored seven unanswered runs to make it 7-3.
 
Wyatt Richardson (0-1) got the start for the Buffs and pitched well before running into trouble in the bottom half of the third inning.
 
UP NEXT
Milligan will wrap up the three-game set against the Sand Sharks Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m. After finishing up with Beaufort, the Buffs will return home to host a tournament Friday, Feb. 8, through Sunday, Feb. 10, at TVA Credit Union Stadium in Johnson City, Tennessee.