SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Spencer Yu and
Ethan Williams each collected two hits but Sewanee left nine runners on base and managed only seven hits in a 7-3 loss in the first game of Saturday's baseball doubleheader against Bethany Lutheran at Montgomery Field. The Vikings won the second game by the same score, doing so with three runs in the top of the sixth in the seven-inning contest, just the same as they did in the opener.
In the opener, the Vikings scored twice in both the second and third innings and three runs in the sixth in a 7-3 victory.
Vincent Curzie hit a two-run homer for Bethany Lutheran in the second inning, but the Tigers answered in the bottom of the inning after
John Bagwell reached on a two-out error. Williams singled to right and Bagwell scored on a balk.
Xander Meissner belted his second two-run homer of the series in the third, giving the visitors a 4-1 advantage.
Williams led off the fifth with a single and moved to second on
Sebastian Leinberger's sacrifice bunt.
Aidan Petrocco singled home a run and later scored on an infield single from
Charlie Teel, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
Bethany Lutheran added three runs in the sixth, starting with singles from Joshua Miller and Curzie. Seth Jones then singled, plating a run, and Jayden Kopp followed with a sacrifice fly. Max Athmann's two-out double added another run for a 7-3 advantage.
Vikings starter Aidan Byrd (1-0) allowed two earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Quentin Holmes tossed the final 2.2 scoreless frames, giving up three hits and one walk for the save.
Sewanee starter
John Parker Rambo (0-1) allowed four runs on six hits with seven strikeouts in 3.2 innings to suffer the loss.
Tre Wilson posted two hits and one RBI in the second game, but the Tigers left nine runners on base again.
Bethany Lutheran plated two runs in the second inning after a one-out single by Curzie and a walk to Jones. Curzie scored on an error and three consecutive walks pushed across another run.
Sewanee evened the contest in the third thanks to a single by Petrocco and a walk by Yu before Teel was hit, loading the bases.
Tyler Pinson followed with a two-run single, but the Tigers grounded out twice to leave two runners on base.
In the fourth Jared Harry was hit, moved to second on a failed pickoff and scored on Jayden Knutson's single to center. Knutson stole second and came across after a throwing error on Pinson for a 4-2 Vikings edge.
Sewanee got a run back in the bottom of the inning after a leadoff single from B Gantt, who moved to second on a wild pitch and stole third. Wilson then doubled, plating a run, but Petrocco grounded out and Yu flied out with the tying run on base.
The Vikings scored three runs in the sixth to pull away for the second straight game, with Harry and Knutson each drawing walks with one out. Gary Swann reached on an infield single and with two outs, J Miller's grounder was misplayed, allowing two runners to score. Meissner later scored on a passed ball for the final margin.
Sewanee starter
Layton Bilderback allowed two runs and four walks on 1.2 innings and
Holden Phillips suffered the loss, giving up two runs on two hits in 2.1 innings.
Bethany starter Sean Gamble worked three innings, allowing three runs on three hits with four strikeouts. Easton Pratt tossed one scoreless inning for the win and Riston Wojcik completed the final three innings for the save, giving up no runs on two hits.
Sewanee and Bethany Lutheran conclude the series Sunday with a single game at 11 a.m.
