MONTGOMERY, Ala. ----- A six-run second inning helped propel the AUM baseball team to its first home NCAA Division II win Wednesday. The North Alabama Lions came into the contest 7-3, riding a four-game win streak which included a sweep of Gulf South Conference foe West Georgia this past weekend.
NOTES
• AUM improves to 5-6.
• North Alabama falls to 7-4.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
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Tanner Russell went 2-for-3 with five RBIs in the contest which included a three-run home run in the second inning, and a pair of sacrifice flies.
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Nathan Langley retired seven hitters en route to his fourth save of the season. He also singled twice and drove in two runs in the contest.
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Parker Moman scored two runs and recorded his first hit in an AUM uniform.
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Brandon Davis had two hits.
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Curtiss Johnson recorded a double and two runs batted in.
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Donovan Chandler reached base three times, once on a hustle double and twice by base on balls. He scored twice.
• Davis Elliot, Logan Carter and Brandt Holland each tallied two hits and two runs batted in for the Lions on the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• North Alabama capitalized when a leadoff walk to begin the game led to an RBI single by Elliot. Two batters later, Carter doubled down the right field line to move the early Lion lead to two. After a groundout by Hubbuch, Carter was able to cross home plate to move the score to 3-0.
• In the next half, Chandler laced a ball down the left field line and was thinking two all the way. He slid in safe for a one-out double. After an errant pickoff throw to second, moving Chandler to third,
Curtiss Johnson drew a walk which brought up Russell. With the count against him at 1-2, Russell sent an offering deep into center which brought in the first Warhawk run of the ballgame. Auburn Montgomery trailed 3-1 after one inning.
• After a scoreless top half,
Trevor Flynn led off the AUM half of the second with a walk. The next batter Moman laid down a sacrifice bunt that was fumbled by the Lion pitcher, allowing Moman to reach safely. The next batter
Michael Tedford laid down another sacrifice bunt to give Auburn Montgomery two runners in scoring position with just one out. The leadoff hitter Langley followed with a line drive into center which scored Moman and Flynn and tied the game at three. A four-pitch walk drawn by Chandler was followed by an RBI double by Johnson scoring Langley, giving AUM its first lead of the ballgame. With two runners in scoring position with one out once again, Russell sent the first pitch he saw into orbit for a three-run home run and a four-run Warhawk lead over North Alabama. This was the end of the road for the Lions' starting pitcher. AUM led 7-3 after two.
• Not letting the poor taste of a six-run inning defensively eat at them, the Lions struck back with two runs of their own in the top of the third. A leadoff walk followed by sloppy defensive play allowed for Holland to record a one-out RBI groundout to short. He was then followed by a two-out triple by Tucker and then a 1-2 wild pitch to give the Lions their second and final run of the inning.
• Feeling the need to get back runs they had just surrendered, the Warhawks led off the bottom of the third with a pair of singles by Moman and Tedford. A one-out walk by Chandler loaded the bases for Johnson. The first offering to Johnson was pulled into left field for an RBI single and a 8-5 Warhawk lead. The next batter, Russell sent a 2-1 pitch into right which scored Tedford easily. Russell's fifth run batted in gave Auburn Montgomery a 9-5 lead heading into the top of the fourth.
• A brief lull in the action by this games' standards was put to an end when the Lions succeeding in pushing across a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning. The rally was started by a two-out, bases empty walk, which led to an RBI double, and a pair of singles.
• With two outs and runners on the corners in the top of the seventh, junior middle infielder and closer Langley took the hill in relief of
Hunter Hillyer. The first hitter Langley faced was Elliot, who managed to send an 0-1 pitch through the middle to bring the Lions within one. With runners on first and second, Langley got the Warhawks out of the jam with the lead still intact.
• A three up, three down top-half of the eighth led to a nearly just as quick bottom half, bringing Langley back out to complete the rare seven-out save opportunity. All North Alabama could muster in the final frame was a lone walk and ultimately dropped the contest to the Warhawks, 9-8.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Each side had three defensive miscues early in the contest.
• The Lions stranded 11 costly runners on base. The Warhawks stranded eight.
UP NEXT
• The Warhawks will return to action on Friday, Feb. 24 when they host Spring Hill College for a weekend series. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Friday.
