LEBANON, Tenn. (March 2, 2021) – Braden Spano homered in game one before Justin Greene and Richard Polinsky homered in game two as the Milligan University baseball team split a twin bill at Cumberland University Tuesday afternoon. Milligan lost the first game 6-2 but bounced back with a 5-4 win in game two.
The split moved Milligan's record to 10-5 (2-1 AAC) with the Buffs having won five of their last seven.
Game One | Milligan 2, Cumberland 6
Milligan had the early lead in the first game of the day. Casey Haire hit a two-out double in the second before Kirby Smith drove him in on a single, then Spano hit a solo home run to lead off the fourth.
It would be all the scoring the Buffs would do, and Cumberland took the lead with a six-run sixth that came courtesy of three Milligan errors.
Smith ended the game 2-for-2, reaching base each time up, including a one-out single that looked to start a seventh-inning rally. Garrett Wilkins made the start on the hill and went the first three and two-thirds innings scoreless. Garrett Bowman was the first out of the pen and suffered the loss despite giving up only two earned runs.
Game Two | Milligan 5, Cumberland 4
Milligan again took the lead early in the second game, in fact even sooner than in the first. Chancery Hall had the RBI on a two-out single in the top of the first, and Milligan added three more runs in the third and one more in the fourth to help thwart a late Cumberland rally.
Greene went deep in the third for a two-run shot after Spano singled home an Anthony Guzman double. Polinsky rounded out Milligan's scoring with a solo homer to lead off the fourth.
Spano and Greene each tallied multihit games with 2-for-3 efforts, Spano wrapping a three-hit day.
Up next
Milligan stays on the road while returning to Appalachian Athletic Conference play. The Buffaloes are set to face Bluefield Friday-Saturday in a three-game set. The next home game for the Buffs will be the following weekend, March 12-13.
