MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Auburn Montgomery baseball team added another first to a historic weekend at the AUM Baseball Complex on Saturday afternoon, defeating the visiting West Alabama Tigers 11-1 in the opening game of a doubleheader to secure the program's first Gulf South Conference series win. The Warhawks were unable to complete the series sweep, as UWA took the final game 2-1.
NOTES
• AUM improves to 8-11 overall, 2-7 in Gulf South Conference play.
• West Alabama moves to 7-13, 4-5 in GSC action.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS (GAME 1)
• Redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher
Hank Scott (3-2) tossed a complete game, holding the Tigers to one run off four hits while striking out five.
• Junior right fielder
Aaron Hill recorded his first three-hit outing at AUM, going 3-4 with a RBI and run scored.
• Senior first baseman
Curtiss Johnson went 2-4 with a RBI and run scored.
• Sophomore designated hitter
Hayden Friesen went 2-4 with a RBI and run scored.
• Sophomore left fielder
Logan Nix went 2-4 with a RBI
• Senior center fielder
Donovan Chandler went 1-3 with three runs scored and two walks.
• For West Alabama, Luke Phillips went 2-3 with a home run while Colton Morgan (0-2) got the start and logged 4.0 innings with seven runs allowed, three earned, off seven hits..
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1)
• AUM got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first, loading the bases via a pair of UWA errors and bunt single from senior shortstop
Nathan Langley before a single from Friesen platted Chandler. The Warhawks added three more runs in the opening stanza, with Johnson and Hill recording RBI singles while senior catcher
Parker Moman tallied a RBI off a sacrifice bunt to plate Langley, junior third baseman/shortstop
Jonathan Brandt and Friesen to make it 4-0.
• AUM added three runs in the bottom of the fourth, as junior second baseman
Harrison Morris led off the inning with a walk and scored on a throwing error by the Tigers. Langley and Brandt scored Hill and Chandler, who both got on base via singles, on back-to-back sacrifice flies to create a 7-0 lead.
• Leading off the bottom of the fifth with a single, Johnson rounded the bases on the ensuing at bat as a wild pitch moved him to second before a single from Nix sent the senior home to made it 8-0.
• West Alabama cut into the deficit in the top of the sixth with a two-out solo home run from Phillips, making it 8-1.
• Loading the bases off a walk and back-to-back hit by pitches with no out in the bottom of the eighth, a walk for junior
Davis Dunn scored Chandler followed by a two-RBI double from junior right fielder
Matthew Zielonko to plate Brandt and junior second baseman
Zach Cumbie, activating the 10-run mercy rule applied on conference doubleheaders.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (GAME 1)
• AUM tallied 12 hits while West Alabama had four.
• The Warhawks left seven runners on base, UWA stranded three.
• UWA recorded three errors, resulting in four runs.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS (GAME 2)
• Following in Scott's footsteps, Langley (1-1) posted a complete game in his first career start on the mound, allowing two unearned runs off five hits while striking out a personal-best seven.
• Junior
Hunter Hillyer went 1-1 as a pinch hitter with a RBI.
• Friesen went 1-1 as a pinch hitter with a run scored.
• For West Alabama, Chris Simon went 2-3 with a run scored while JT Salter (2-1) recorded a complete-game with 10 strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2)
• West Alabama took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, capitalizing on a throwing error by the Warhawks that advanced Simon to third base which allowed a groundout by Murphy to score the Tiger.
• UWA added to their lead in the top of the seventh, getting Montgomery on base via a walk before a throwing error by AUM allowed him to score, making it 2-0.
• With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Friesen connected on a single and scored off a double from Hillyer to cut the deficit in half and put the game-winning run in the batter's box.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE (GAME 2)
• Both sides posted five hits.
• The Warhawks left five runners on base, UWA stranded three.
• AUM recorded two errors, resulting in both the Tigers' runs.
UP NEXT
The baseball team continues its season-long eight-game homestand on Wednesday, Mar. 14 against Georgia Southwestern at 4 p.m.
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