MONTGOMERY, Ala. – With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 10
th inning on Thursday evening, the Auburn Montgomery baseball team was able to send junior first baseman
Aaron Hill home off a fielding error by the visiting Valdosta State Blazers for a 4-3 walk-off Gulf South Conference victory.
NOTES
• AUM improves to 10-11 overall, 3-7 in Gulf South Conference play.
• Valdosta State drops to 9-14 overall, 3-7 in GSC action.
• As a team, AUM stole a season-high five bases.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Senior shortstop
Nathan Langley reached base safely in every at bat, going 2-2 with four walks, one run scored, one RBI and one stolen base.
• Senior designated hitter
Curtiss Johnson went 2-4 with a RBI, walk and stolen base.
• Hill went 1-3 with two runs scored, including the game-winner, and one walk.
• Senior southpaw
Garrett Deloney (2-1) got the start on the mound, holding Valdosta State to two runs off seven hits in 7.0 innings of work with eight strikeouts.
• Junior lefty
Wade Bannister (1-0) got the win after retiring the final VSU batter in the top of the 10
th.
• For Valdosta State, Andrew Williamson went 4-5 with a home run while Hunter Jones (1-1) lasted 6.0 innings with two runs allowed off six hits.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Valdosta State scored in the opening inning, loading the bases with three singles before a sacrifice fly from Andrew Haughton sent Kendall Herron home.
• AUM tied the score in the bottom of the fourth, leading off with a walk from Langley who stole second base before a two-out single from Curtiss sent him home to make 1-1.
• AUM took its first lead of the contest the following inning, this time with sophomore catcher
Kyle Khoury leading off with a walk and Langley sending him home off a one-out single to create a 2-1 lead going into the sixth.
• The visitors knotted up the score in the top of the sixth with a two-out homer from Williamson to even it up at 2-all.
• VSU got their second home run of the contest in the top of the eighth, this one from B.J. White, to take a 3-2 lead.
• The Warhawks responded to the home run in the bottom of the stanza, capitalizing on a Blazzers' fielding error to get Hill on base and sending him him on a fielder's choice to make it 3-3 going into the ninth.
• Hill led off the bottom of the 10
th with a walk, advancing to third off a sacrifice bunt from junior second baseman
Harrison Morris and walk for Langley before a fielding error by the visitors allowed the game-winning run to score.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• AUM tallied nine hits while Valdosta State had 13.
• The Warhawks left 13 runners on base, VSU stranded 10.
• Valdosta State recording four errors, allowing two AUM runs to score.