ROME, Ga. –
Aidan Petrocco collected three hits while
Owen Andress and
Will Jennewein each posted two hits and one RBI, but Berry College scored 11 runs over the last two innings in a 12-6 victory over Sewanee in the first game of the SAA Baseball Championships here Thursday at Advent Health Stadium.
The Tigers (21-18-1) fall into the loser's bracket and will play either Centre College or Oglethorpe University at 10 a.m. ET on Friday in an elimination game. Berry (24-16) advances to play Rhodes College in the last game of the day Thursday.
Sewanee scored three times in the fifth and twice more in the seventh to take a 6-1 edge behind
Taj Donald, who allowed one run on six hits in six innings. The Vikings got three straight singles with one out in the seventh and then a fielder's choice where no out was recorded, chasing Donald from the game.
Berry took full advantage of the Tigers bullpen, plating seven runs on six hits in 1.2 innings and taking advantage of two hit batters. The Vikings scored six runs in the seventh and five more in the eighth to put the game away.
Berry starter JohnMark Christopher allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Jackson Collett (2-0) was the recipient of the win after getting one out to end the seventh. Eric Fountain stranded two runners in the eighth when the Vikings led, 7-6, and Cole Porter recorded the final three outs.
Eli Potter (6-2) suffered the loss for Sewanee, giving up two unearned runs on two hits in the seventh.
Jacob Bridges led Berry with three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored and five other Vikings registered two hits in their 15-hit attack, including two hits and two RBIs for Garrett Lang.
The Tigers got on the board in the second inning when
Tyler Pinson reached on a throwing error and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Andress. Jennewein lifted a soft single to left, putting runners on the corners, and
Max Kilburn's fly ball to leftcenter plated Pinson for a 1-0 Sewanee edge.
With two outs in the fourth Chance Edmonds and Austin Jetmore were hit and Chaz Moore followed with an RBI single to right, scoring a run and knotting the game at one.
The Tigers answered in the fifth, starting with a two-out walk to Petrocco.
Charlie Teel then doubled to leftcenter, plating a run, and he scored on
Zach Fortman's single to left. Christopher was called for a balk, pushing Fortman to second, and he came around on Pinson's grounder through the leftside, giving Sewanee a 4-1 advantage.
In the seventh Teel was hit with one out and Fortman walked before a two-out RBI single to leftcenter from Andress. Jennewein followed with an RBI single to right, plating another run for a 6-1 lead.
Berry cut into the deficit in the bottom of the inning with a one-out singles by Lang and Chase Edmonds. Riley Uhls then singled to right, scoring a run, and the ball was misplayed in the outfield, allowing another run to come across. Tanaka Mukono grounded to short, but Fortman's throw to third was low and Uhls was called safe, ending the day for Donald.
Pinch-hitter Hayden Gilbert walked, loading the bases, and Bridges drove in two runs with a single to center. Chance Edmonds reached on a beautiful bunt single, loading the bases again for the Vikings. Jetmore grounded to first, but Teel's throw to the plate was wild, allowing two runs to come across for a 7-6 Berry advantage.
Sebastian Leinberger and Petrocco both singled in the eighth for the Tigers, but Teel lined out to right and Fortman struck out to end the threat.
With two outs in the eighth Mukono was hit and Nate Coker singled before Bridges was hit, loading the bases. Two runs scored on a wild pitch and Chance Edmonds singled to left, scoring another run. Jetmore walked and Moore's infield single loaded the bases before a two-run double down the rightfield line by Lang ended the scoring.
