MONTGOMERY, Ala. --- The Auburn Montgomery baseball team split the last two games of their three-game Gulf South Conference set with the Mississippi College Choctaws in doubleheader action on Saturday, March 23 from the AUM Baseball Complex.
NOTES
- The Warhawks fell 6-4 in game one, and took game two 4-2.
- With the completion of the series, the Warhawk's record now sits at 15-14 overall, and 7-8 in GSC play.
- The Warhawks did make a single error on defense in either game one or two on Saturday.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
-
Matthew Zielonko drove in a team-high four runs on the day, with a pair of RBI in each game. The junior outfielder logged a pair of hits in game one, including his team-leading fifth home run of the season, in addition to scoring a run.
-
Quinterrious Arrington finished with a team-high four hits on the afternoon, with a pair of hits in each game. Arrington drove in a run and stole a base in game one, and scored a run in game two.
-
Grayson Blackwell logged three hits over the course of the day, highlighted by a pair of hits and a run scored in game one.
-
Hayden Friesen and
Kyle Khoury both tallied a pair of knocks on the day. Friesen recorded one in each game, while Khoury socked both base hits, drove in a run, and scored a run in game two.
-
Aaron Hill added a run and a hit in game two, while
Zach Feaster registered a hit and an RBI in game one.
-
Sage Smelley scored a run in game one, while driving in a run on a squeeze bunt in game two.
-
Brett Lightsey (2-0) picked up the win on the mound for AUM in game two, allowing just two earned over five innings, while striking out two.
-
Harrison Morris (1) tossed the final two frames for AUM in game number two, to pick up his first save of the 2019 season. Morris gave up just one hit, while striking out two, en route to the save.
-
Troy Jones struck out four batters over six innings of action in game one, allowing four earned runs on 93 pitches in the no-decision.
- Hill provided 1.2 innings of relief for AUM in game one, striking out one and allowing no hits.
HOW IT HAPPANED GAME ONE
- AUM cracked the scoreboard in game one, putting a run up in the third courtesy of an RBI knock up the middle from Arrington.
Casey Henderson was hit by pitch to lead off the inning, and stole second to get into scoring position for Arrington.
- The Choctaws would put up a run in the fourth to tie the game at 1-1, but AUM would retake the lead in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI infield hit from Feaster that plated Blackwell.
- After seeing the Choctaws put up a three-spot in the sixth to take the lead at 6-4, AUM would tie the game back up in the bottom of the seventh, via a towering two-run, two-out home run from Zielonko to left field.
- The Choctaws would scratch a pair of runs in the ninth, however, to help them take game one at 6-4.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE GAME ONE
- The Warhawks were edged by the Choctaws in total base hits in game one, 9-8.
- For the second straight game, three players tallied a pair of hits for the Warhawk offense.
- The Warhawks left nine runners on base in game one, while the pitching staff stranded eight Mississippi College base runners.
HOW IT HAPPENED GAME TWO
- The Warhawks were once again able to strike first, this time plating a run in inning number one on an RBI ground out to second by Zielonko. Arrington led off the game with a hit up the middle, followed by an advancement on an MC obstruction call at first, and a sacrifice bunt by Smelley to set up the RBI chance.
- After seeing the Choctaws tie the game up at one-all with a run in the fifth, the Warhawks would break out for three runs in the fifth to lead 4-1. AUM was able to cash in on a RBI knock up the middle from Khoury, an RBI suicide squeeze bunt from Smelley, and an RBI single by Zielonko through the left side.
- The Choctaws would scratch a run in the top of the sixth inning to make it 4-2, but a diving catch by Brandt on a screaming liner would end the inning and leave a runner stranded to keep AUM up two over MC.
- Despite a leadoff double by MC to start the top of the seventh, Morris would retire the next three batters to put a bow on the 4-2 victory for AUM.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE GAME TWO
- AUM outhit Mississippi College in game number two, 9-8.
- Eight of nine starters in game one either scored a run or recorded a hit in game two.
- The Warhawks reached base to leadoff an inning in four of six frames in game two, for a 67-percent efficiency.
- The Orange and Black left just five runners on base in game two, while the pitching staff stranded 10 Choctaws runners.
- Of the game's 21 outs collected by AUM pitchers in game two, 11 came via the fly out, four via the groundout and four via the strikeout.
UP NEXT
- The Warhawks will return to action on Wednesday, March 27, when they take on Georgia Southwestern in Americus, Ga. at 5:00 p.m. (CST)
For the latest on AUM athletics, find us on
Facebook,
Twitter and
Instagram.
