PENSACOLA, Fla. –
Henry Collins tossed five strong innings,
Will Yarbro posted three hits and three RBIs and Sewanee held off the University of Chicago, 6-4, in baseball action here Wednesday at Wahoos Stadium.
Yarbro posted a two-run double in the first inning and an RBI single in the third before the Tigers (8-8) plated three unearned runs, two in the fifth. The offense backed up a strong outing from Collins, who tossed five innings, allowing one run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. He also hit two batters but worked out of trouble in the first and fifth innings.
Collins retired nine consecutive batters after a leadoff single in the second inning before running into trouble in the fifth. Matthew Wills was hit to leadoff the inning and Jackson Slipock singled with one out before Collins hit Eric Rindner with two outs, loading the bases, but Jack Goldstein bounced into a fielder's choice, ending the inning.
Braeden Mefford stranded two runners in the seventh after the Maroons (1-8) cut the deficit to 5-2 and
Joey Crews go the final three outs for the save, including a wild doubleplay ending.
Chicago loaded the bases in the ninth thanks to a single by Slipock, a walk to Brady Miller and a one-out hit batter from Goldstein. Devan Johnson hit a slow grounder up the middle where Sebastian Lineberger fielded and stepped on the bag, but Goldstein broke up the doubleplay, leaving Lineberger unable to throw to first.
Slipock scored on the play but Miller rounded third, hesitated and then took off for the plate. Lineberger's throw to home started a 6-2-5-1 run-down that ended the game.
Maroons starter Phil Hogan (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings. Slipock finished 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored.
The Tigers started quickly, with a one-out single by
Charlie Teel in the first and a two-out walk from
Jack Roode. Yarbro then doubled over the head of the centerfielder, plating both runners for a 2-0 Sewanee lead after a half inning.
Spilock answered with a leadoff homer down the leftfield line for the Maroons and Chicago threatened later in the inning with a pair of walks, but Collins got a fly ball to right and then fielded a chopper toward the third base bag, with
Hunter Herndon making an outstanding stretch to complete the play for the third out.
Sewanee had a chance to add to the lead in the second inning after a
Mike Lewishall double and a walk to
Jadon Fetrow, but Lineberger grounded sharply into a doubleplay to end the inning.
Herndon doubled off the glove of a diving centerfielder, Richard Lu, with one out in the third inning and scored on Yarbro's two-out single through the right side, extending the advantage to 3-1.
Owen Andress and Fetrow both singled in the fourth but Lineberger popped out to end the threat. The Tigers finally added some runs in the fifth thanks to a big error by Chicago.
Herndon walked with one out and Yarbro singled to right with two outs.
Blake Pou's sharp grounder went off the glove of the first baseman, Brian Cordero, and rolled into the rightfield corner, allowing both runners to come across for a 5-1 lead.
Chicago came alive offensively in the seventh thanks to back-to-back leadoff walks to Jack Sharp and Slipock by Mefford. Miller's sacrifice bunt pushed the runners to second and third and Rindner dumped a soft single down the leftfield line, plating two runs.
Johnson singled with two outs, but Mefford struck out Cordero on a full count pitch to keep the Tigers in the lead, 5-3.
Pou reached on an error to start the eighth for Sewanee, moved to second on a groundout by Andress and third on a wild pitch. With two outs Leinberger walked and stole second. The throw got away from the second baseman and Pou scored on the play for a 6-3 advantage.
Because of rain in the forecast for Saturday, Sewanee will now play two games Saturday starting at 9 a.m against Wisconsin-Platteville and Noon versus Carroll University.
