SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Will Yarbro posted three hits and three runs scored and
Hunter Herndon added three hits and two runs scored, but Sewanee pitching issued 15 free passes and did not take advantage of nine opponent errors, dropping a doubleheader, 10-7 and 7-4, against Anderson University in baseball action here Sunday at Montgomery Field.
The Tigers (2-2) stranded 10 runners in the first game and eight in the second contest (seven innings). Anderson walked six, hit three batters and committed eight errors in the first game, but a six-run eighth inning by the Ravens (2-1) broke a tie game.
Tyler Smitherman homered in both games for Anderson, including a solo shot to leftcenter in the fourth inning of the second game that spoiled a good start from
Taj Donald (0-1), who was saddled with the loss. Smitherman's homer put the Ravens ahead, 2-1, and the visitors tacked on four more runs in the fifth thanks to a grand slam by Griffin Wolf.
Donald worked three-plus innings, giving up two runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Carter Knoblauch (1-0) got the win for Anderson with five innings of work, allowing one run while scattering eight hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
The two teams combined for use 10 pitchers in the opener, with Anderson starter Justin Schassburger giving up no earned runs on two hits with three strikeouts in five innings. He left with a 4-1 lead, but the Tigers scored three times in the sixth to knot the contest.
Jake Nevle (0-1), the second Sewanee hurler, threw very well but things unraveled for him after a close play at first went against the Tigers and then an error opened the floodgates for the Ravens. He allowed five earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts in five-plus innings.
The Ravens scored first in the opener with a solo homer to left by Smitherman in the first inning.
Owen Andress threw out Justin Reed trying to steal second later in the frame.
Yarbro and Andress both singled in the second inning for the Tigers but
Jadon Fetrow grounded out to end the threat.
Yarbro reached on a throwing error with one out in the fourth. He stole second and the throw sailed into centerfield. The throw from the outfield then hit Yarbro sliding into third, getting away and allowing the runner to score and knot the game at one.
Anderson got the run back and more in the fifth, though, starting with a leadoff single by Cooper Webb. Charlie Jones was hit with one out and Justin Reed's two-out single up the middle plated a run. Trey Dorton followed with an RBI single to rightcenter, putting runners on the corners, and the Ravens executed a double steal with two outs, with Reed coming across before Dorton was tagged out, giving the visitors a 4-1 advantage.
Luke Short reached on a dropped pop fly with two outs in the fifth for Sewanee and
Charlie Teel walked.
Blake Pou's deep drive to rightcenter was tracked down by Dorton just shy of the wall, ending the threat.
The Tigers loaded the bases without a hit in the sixth after walks to Herndon and
Wilson Irvin and a hit by pitch against Yarbro. Lewishall was also hit, forcing in a run, before a wild pitch plated a run and an RBI single from Andress, tying the game at four. Fetrow bunted but Lewishall was thrown out at the plate and Andress was tagged out at the plate later in the inning trying to score on a pitch that got away from the catcher, keeping the game tied.
Anderson regained the lead in the eighth thanks to some costly fielding mistakes by the Tigers.
Dorton started the inning with a single and Wolf was hit and a single to center from Wasson plated a run and ended the day for Nevle. Isaac Bair grounded off the pitcher's glove but Sewanee got an out, putting runners at second and third, and a grounder to third by Cooper Webb was bobbled by Teel, allowing a run to come across.
Jones beat out an infield single to the leftside and Smitherman reached on an error by Tigers shortstop, Short. The Ravens poured it on from there with a two-run single by Reed and an RBI single to center from Dorton for a 10-4 lead.
Irvin walked to leadoff the bottom of the inning and Lewishall singled to left, putting runners on the corners. Pinch-hitter
J.T. Carter's groundout plated a run and
Oliver Snell walked. With two outs Teel's fly ball to left was dropped, scoring another run for a 10-7 deficit. Sewanee loaded the bases with a single from Pou and a hit by pitch by Herndon, but Yarbro lined out softly to second to end the inning.
In the second game Connor Gordon walked and stole second in the third inning and scored on a soft double down the leftfield line by Jones. Sewanee answered in the bottom of the frame, with a one-out single by Herndon and a two-out RBI base hit from Irvin.
Zayden Stiller walked to leadoff the fifth for the Ravens and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs Smitherman and Reed were both hit, loading the bases, and Wolf followed with a grand slam down the rightfield line for a 6-1 Anderson lead after the Smitherman homer in the fourth.
Lewishall tripled to deep centerfield to start the sixth for Sewanee and scored on a sacrifice fly by
Luke Thompson.
In the seventh Reed walked, stole second and then Wolf singled, putting runners on the corners. Dalton Wasson's sac fly made it 7-2 Anderson.
The Tigers threatened in the bottom of the seventh, with a leadoff single by Teel and a one-out double from Herndon, but Pou was thrown out at the plate on the play. Yarbro doubled down the rightfield line, plating a run, and Irvin reached on a throwing error by the third baseman, pushing across another, before Lewishall grounded out to end the contest.
Sewanee plays in Montgomery, Ala., next weekend, facing Mount St. Joseph on Friday at 3 p.m. at Huntingdon University.
