SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Matt Munn tossed seven strong innings,
Charlie Teel posted three hits and
Sebastian Leinberger drove in three runs in Sewanee's 9-5 victory over Berry College in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader in baseball action here at Montgomery Field.
In the second game the Tigers (20-17, 6-11 SAA) scored three times in the bottom of the sixth on a throwing error by the Vikings (17-20, 6-11) and
Aidan Petrocco's bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh forced in the winning run in a 4-3 win. Teel added two more hits in that victory to finish with five for the day from the leadoff spot.
In the opener Munn (5-2) worked seven innings, giving up three runs, two earned, and scattering eight hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out five, retiring eight straight hitters in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
Teel was 3-for-4 with two runs scored,
Will Jennewein scored three times and drove in two runs and four other players collected two hits apiece. Sewanee broke the game open with a five-run bottom of the seventh, including a two-run single by Leinberger and an RBI single from
Tyler Pinson.
Berry started Mason Snyder tossed four-plus innings, allowing one run on five hits with two walks and one strikeout. He issued a free pass to
Owen Andress to start the fifth, ending his day on the mound.
Tyler Cassidy (2-3), the third of six Berry hurlers, gave up five runs on three hits in one-third of an inning to take the loss.
Berry scored once in the fourth and twice more in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead in the second contest. Sewanee managed only three hits in the first five innings against Vikings starter Jackson Halla before he gave up back-to-back doubles to
Owen Andress and Teel to start the sixth.
Teel's shot hit high off the wall in right and put runners at second and third. With two outs
Zach Fortman was hit and
Will Jennewein hit a high chopper to the third-base side of the mound. Aubrey Moraitakis fumbled the ball, then made a wild throw that ended up down the rightfield line. The bases cleared and the Tigers tied the game.
In the seventh
Alden Wright walked with one out and pinch-hitter
Luke Thompson singled down the rightfield line, with Thompson taking second on the throw back to the infield. Berry intentionally walked Teel, loading the bases, and Moraitakis tossed four straight balls to Petrocco, forcing in the winning run for the 4-3 Sewanee win.
Moraitakis (0-2) allowed two runs on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work.
Taj Donald worked four innings for the Tigers, giving up three runs on six hits, and
Childers Winn (2-0) walked one and did not give up a hit in the seventh to pick up the victory.
The Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first in the opener after singles from Teel and
Blake Pou and a walk to Fortman, but Jennewein grounded into a 4-6-3 doubleplay to end the inning.
The Vikings got on the board in the second with a leadoff single from Andrew Pendleton, who moved to second on groundouts from Charles Pulaski and Ethan Finch and scored on a wild pitch.
Sewanee tied the contest in the third with one-out singles from Teel and Petrocco, putting runners on the corners, and Pou's sacrifice fly to center plated the run.
The Tigers threatened in the fourth when Leinberger reached on a throwing error and Pinson singled to center, putting runners on the corners. Wright grounded sharply to the rightside but Joey Garcia started a 4-6-3 doubleplay to end the inning.
In the sixth Tanaka Mukono doubled down the leftfield line to leadoff and Garcia flared a single into short right, putting runners on the corners. Nick Brunswick grounded into a 5-4-3 doubleplay, but Mukono came across on the play, giving Berry a 2-1 edge.
The Tigers tied the game again in sixth thanks walks to Jennewein and Leinberger. Pinson looked like he would draw a free pass as well but was called out on strikes, but Wright delivered a two-out RBI single to rightcenter, knotting the contest at two.
The Vikings answered in the seventh, though, with a leadoff double from Pendleton high off the wall in right. Charles Pulaski bunted and Teel's throw to third was wild, allowing the run to score. Pulaski went to second on the play and Finch sacrificed the runner to third, but Munn got a pair of groundouts to keep it a one-run game.
Teel grounded a single to left to start the bottom of the inning and Petrocco and Pou both reached on bunt singles, nicely placed bunts down the third base line, loading the bases. Teel scored on a wild pitch before Fortman and Jennewein both walked, forcing in a run and ending the day for Cassidy.
Leinberger greeted reliever Cole Porter with a two-run single to right and Pinson's single through the right side plated another, extending the Sewanee lead to 7-3.
Berry cut into the deficit in the eighth when Garcia walked and two batters later, Riley Uhls hammered a ball over the wall in leftcenter, his seventh of the year, making it 7-5.
Pou walked in the bottom of the inning and Jennewein doubled down the leftfield line, scoring Pou. Jennewein took third on the play and came across on Leinberger's sac fly to center, pushing the lead to 9-5.
The Vikings struck first in the second game after Pendleton was hit to leadoff the fourth and went to second on Austin Jetmore's sacrifice bunt. Jacob Bridges singled to center, plating the run, and Pulaski followed with a single, putting runners on the corners, but Bridges was cut down at the plate on the double steal attempt.
Gilbert walked and Mukono was hit, loading the bases, before Garcia lined out to end the inning with Berry ahead just 1-0.
In the fifth Garrett Lang and Uhls led off with singles and Pendleton's bunt pushed the runners to second and third. Jetmore chopped a single just over the pitcher's mound, scoring a run, and Bridges followed with a sacrifice fly to left for a 3-0 Berry advantage.
The Tigers and Vikings end the regular season with a single game Sunday at Noon.
