SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Milligan University's baseball program was on the road on Tuesday afternoon in Spartanburg, S.C. to play a pair of non-conference, seven-inning contests against the Spartanburg Methodist College Pioneers. After falling 5-4 on a walk-off in game one, the Buffaloes bats awoke in the latter tilt, helping the team to a split with a 11-6 victory.

Spartanburg Methodist scored three times in the opening frame of game one, as a hit-by-pitch to start the bout was followed by a RBI double and an run-scoring groundout. Then it was a single and an error, followed by a steal of third base, that allowed the third tally to cross on a RBI single.

After a few quiet frames, the Buffaloes finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth, as Gaven Jones hammered a solo homer to left field to start the inning. A walk to Cade Kalehuawehe, a single by Brody Melton and a hit-by-pitch for Devin Gutierrez loaded the bases. Then, with two outs recorded, a bases-loaded walk by Nick Iezzi brought home a run. That was followed by a two-run double down the left-field line by Nick Moss that scored Gutierrez and Melton to give MU their first lead, 4-3.

An RBI double in the fifth frame for the Pioneers tied the score, as the game entered its final two innings with a tie score, 4-4.

The Milligan offense was listless in the last two innings, managing only one baserunner. Spartanburg Methodist launched a solo walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh during the first at-bat of the inning, snapping Milligan's active five-game winning streak.

Luckily, the Buffs bounced back quickly in game two, boasting back-to-back solo homers in the top of the first from Jones and Kalehuawehe. After Melton singled and advanced to third, Gutierrez hit a RBI groundout to shortstop to make it 3-0 after a half inning.

A RBI fielder's choice by SMC in the bottom of the inning cut into the MU lead, but still left them with a 3-1 advantage.

After a scoreless second frame, the Buffaloes benefitted from two fielding errors by Spartanburg Methodist, allowing Miller Spence to reach third base for a squeeze play from Gutierrez. The play was executed to perfection, bringing home an early insurance tally to make it 4-1.

The Pioneers would take that run right back in the bottom of the third, as a run-scoring double to left field cut the lead back down to 4-2.

Jones continued his offensive tear in the top of the fourth, ripping a two-out, two-run double down the left-field line to score both Landon Lutterman and Moss. That knock made it a 6-2 Milligan edge.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of inning number four, the Pioneers did not execute to their fullest potential, as a sacrifice fly and a steal of home on a double steal were the only two tallies they managed. They cut their deficit down to just two runs at 6-4.

After a Melton walk to lead off the top of the fifth, he reached third after a wild pitch and a stolen base. Cole Hartley then stepped up and delivered a RBI single into right field to make it 7-4, before a Moss flyout down the right-field line was caught in foul ground and resulted in another run being scored It was 8-4 after four-and-a-half.

Spartanburg Methodist would not go away, as a two-run homer was hit in the bottom of the fifth to make it a two-run game, again, at 8-6.

With a Kalehuawehe walk and a Gutierrez single and two outs recorded in the top of the sixth, Josh Lail had his most important swing of the season, launching a three-run blast to right field to make it a 11-6 MU lead.

From there, SMC could not do much, as they only had two baserunners over the remainder of the contest. The Buffs left Spartanburg with a 11-6 triumph in game two.

Jones (4-for-9, 2 HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R) led the team offensively, continuing his major hot streak to begin the season, as he now sits at .457 in terms of batting average. He has 12 extra-base hits and holds an OPS of 1.328 to this point. Moss (2-for-7, 2 2B, 3 RBI, R) and Melton (2-for-7, 3 R, BB) were the other two players with multiple hits on the day. Braxton Baird, Kalehuawehe, Gutierrez, Lail, Hartley and Lutterman all had one hit to make up the team's 16 combined base hits.

Game one saw Sai Vickers (4 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 5 H, K, BB) and Cole Wessel (2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 4 K, BB) team up to finish off the game, with Wessel picking up the loss in relief, though he pitched rather well.

The second tilt was started by Conner Hendrix (2 IP, ER, H, K, 3 BB), and he was relieved by Tucker Webb (1.2 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, 2 K, 2 BB). Then, Jake Brune (1.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 K) came in next, followed by Cainan Meyers (2 IP, H, 2 K, BB) who earned the save in the contest.

Now, the Buffs (16-3, 7-2 AAC) will be playing an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) series on Thursday, March 5 and Friday, March 6 on Anglin Field against Union Commonwealth University (Ky.). The series was previously scheduled for Friday and Saturday, but impending rain will push the games up a day. Game one will be a 6 p.m. first pitch on Thursday, March 5.