ATHENS, Tenn. — On Friday evening, the No. 21-ranked Milligan University baseball squad began a non-conference, three-game weekend series at Tennessee Wesleyan University in Athens. The series opener under the lights ended up being a disappointing start to the series for the Buffaloes, who managed only two hits en route to a 12-2 loss in a run-rule shortened seven-inning tilt.
The Buffaloes scored first, as leadoff man
Braxton Baird left the yard in the first at-bat of the contest to give Milligan an early 1-0 lead.
After the next two half-innings failed to yield any results, TWU grabbed a quartet of runs in the bottom of the second via a wild pitch, a RBI single and a two-run single, all coming with two outs. They led 4-1 after two.
The offenses were quiet until the bottom of the sixth, when Tennessee Wesleyan broke the game wide open. A one-out run-scoring single made it 5-1, before a costly fielder's choice play that included an error gave the Bulldogs two more runs. Finally, a two-run homer capped off the frame's five total runs to give the hosts a 9-1 lead.
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Brody Melton solo homer in the top of the seventh cut the deficit to seven runs at 9-2, but the Bulldogs would score three runs in the bottom half on a bases-loaded walk and two wild pitches, ending the game 12-2 in seven frames.
The Buffaloes had only two hits, both solo shots from Baird and Melton, in the lopsided loss to the No. 16-ranked squad in the NAIA. They struck out nine times in the game against the Tennessee Wesleyan ace who managed a seven-inning complete game.
Canyon Geren (5 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 7 K, 3 BB) was handed his first loss of the season on the hill, as he now sits at 8-1 for the campaign. He was relieved by
Devin Gutierrez, who was roughed up for five runs (three earned) on five hits with a walk allowed across 0.2 innings.
Jake Brune went just a third of an inning, allowing three runs on just one hit, while
Andrew Dingus closed the game with 0.2 innings. He struck out two and walked one.
Following a gut punch loss on Friday night, Milligan (35-9, 20-4 AAC) will be looking to right the ship by taking both games on Saturday against TWU to clinch a series victory. First pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m. in Athens.
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