BLUEFIELD, Va. — The return to the diamond for the (RV) Milligan University baseball team came on Friday evening in Bluefield, Va. A nine-inning opener to the three-game Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) series between the Buffs and the Bluefield University Rams reinforced the dominance that the Buffaloes are capable of, as they run-ruled the Rams on eight frames, 10-0.
Right off the bat, Milligan leaped in front. A walk to
Braxton Baird, followed by an error to allow
Gaven Jones to reach base, set up
Cade Kalehuawehe for a RBI single to make it 1-0.
Bluefield would keep the game close in the early stages, allowing another tally to MU in the top of the third. After Baird's leadoff triple, Jones drove him across with a sacrifice fly to left, making it a 2-0 Milligan lead.
The Buffs finally broke through for a crooked number in the top of the fourth, as back-to-back singles by
Nick Iezzi and
Reagan Smith were followed up by a sac bunt by
Nick Moss to put runners at second and third with one out. Baird took advantage, mashing a two-run double to right-center field to make it 4-0. Kalehuawehe would reach on an error that allowed Baird to cross the dish and push the score to 5-0. Then,
Brody Melton laced a triple into the left-center gap to score the courtesy runner,
Miller Spence. It was a 6-0 lead for MU after three-and-a-half.
Several scoreless frames for both sides preceded the top of the eighth, when Milligan nabbed four more tallies. A RBI single by Baird scored Smith from second base to make it 7-0. Jones then hammered a two-run triple to left-center field to extend the lead to nine runs at 9-0. Melton would drive him in later with a sac fly to left, putting the Buffs up by the necessary 10 runs to end the game prematurely.
A three-up-three-down bottom of the eighth ended the contest, as the Buffaloes took the opener 10-0 for their 32nd win of the season and their 18th in AAC play.
Led by Baird (3-for-4, 3B, 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R), the Buffs tallied nine hits in the triumph. Jones (3B) and Melton (3B) supplied the other two extra-base hits and Kalehuawehe, Iezzi, Smith and
Landon Lutterman added the four additional singles.
Canyon Geren continued his stellar start to the campaign, twirling five frames of three-hit ball en route to his seventh win of the season without a loss. He struck out five and walked three in the process.
Jake Brune relieved him, allowing no hits across the final three frames of the bout. He punched out a pair of hitters and walked only one.
The Buffaloes (32-8, 18-4 AAC) have two more tilts with the Rams on Saturday, as Milligan will have the capability to become the solo leader of the conference with results elsewhere in the AAC going their way. Game one of the double-dip is set for a noon first pitch.
