MILLIGAN, Tenn. – Thursday night's series opener for (RV) Milligan baseball against the Union Commonwealth University (Ky.) Bulldogs was a historic one, as an offensive outburst by the Buffaloes resulted in a tie for the most runs ever scored by a Milligan team in a single game in an eventual 24-2 win.

Milligan got the scoring going early, as five straight hits began the bottom of the first. Cade Kalehuawehe drove in Braxton Baird with a single, Brody Melton Doubled home Gaven Jones, Devin Gutierrez singled Kalehuawehe across the dish, Wyatt Heidle grounded out to score Melton and Cole Hartley hit a two-bagger to plate Gutierrez. It was a 5-0 game after just a single frame.

Continuing to add on, the Buffs tacked three more runs onto their tally in the second. Kalehuawehe hit a two-run sacrifice fly, as Baird scored from third and Jones showed off his speed by scoring from second base. A fielder's choice by Luis Quintero then brought home Gutierrez to make it 8-0 after two.

The Bulldogs picked up a pair of runs on a laser to the right-center gap with two on and two out. That double momentarily cut into the massive deficit that UCU was facing.

With an 8-2 score, Milligan was far from done putting up runs, as they added three more in the bottom of the third starting via an RBI fielder's choice by Jones to score Hartley. Then, a two-RBI single by Melton drove in Jones and Nick Moss to make it 11-2.

A four spot in the bottom of the fourth for the Buffaloes made it 15-2. A Hartley single to left drove in Miller Spence, and then an error allowed two unearned runs to score in the form of Moss and Hartley. Lastly, Melton ripped another run-scoring single to drive in Baird to close out the inning.

In the fifth, a grand total of seven runs would be added to the MU tally, as things began with a grand slam homer off the bat of Moss, chasing Hartley, Quintero and Spence across the plate. A sac fly from Kalehuawehe followed, scoring Baird, and then Bryce Burkey doubled home Keith Scoggins. Lastly, Landon Lutterman hit a sacrifice fly to score Burkey and make it 22-2 after five.

A two-run double by Wyatt Heidle in the bottom of the sixth would put up the final two Milligan runs, as Christian Pawl and Scoggins both came in to score.
Union Commonwealth would not score again, as the Buffs took a massive 24-2 win, tying the 1980 Buffaloes in a win over Tennessee Wesleyan for the most runs scored in a single game in Milligan history.

Hartley led the way with four hits in four at-bats, as he drove in two runs and scored three with a double to his credit. Melton and Baird each had three hits in the contest, and Melton tied with two others for the team lead in RBI in the game, with four. Gutierrez and Heidle each had a pair of hits, while Jones, Kalehuawehe, Moss, Scoggins, Burkey and Benjamin Stevens all had one. Kalehuawehe and Moss both ended up with four RBI in the contest, as well.

Jonah Ward (6 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 5 K) pitched all but one inning in the win and improved his season win-loss record to 3-0. Kaleb Meredith appeared for the first time this season on the hill and closed out the game without allowing a hit.

Two more tilts with the Bulldogs will take place on Friday, March 6 for Milligan (17-3, 8-2 AAC), with game one of the doubleheader set to begin at 1 p.m. on Anglin Field.