OXFORD, Ala. ---- The Auburn Montgomery baseball team saw its season come to an end on Saturday, as Gulf South Conference Pitcher of the Year Jonathan Pintaro scattered just five hits over 7 2/3 innings for Shorter in an 8-2 Hawks' victory.
Shorter (26-21) took the lead for good in the bottom of the first inning on a solo home run by Cameron Tilly and extended its lead to 4-0 after two innings. In the second frame, Matt Christian blasted a two-run homer to centerfield and Norman Leon came around to score on a wild pitch.
The Hawks added two more runs in fourth inning on RBI singles by Tilly and Jacob Pajer.
Leon extended the Shorter advantage to 7-0 with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh. The Warhawks pushed across their first run of the contest on a single by
Kasey Clark in the eighth, before
Jake Spivey plated Clark with an RBI single to shallow centerfield.
Shorter plated its final run in the bottom of eighth after Pajer scored when Lyndon Weaver was caught in a rundown.
AUM had opportunities to cut into the deficit, working six walks against Pintaro. However, the Warhawks stranded nine runners in the contest, including multiple on base in a pair of innings.
Andrew Cronan (8-4) took the loss for AUM, allowing six runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Clay Slagle tossed 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, before giving way to
Sam Steigert to finish the contest.
Brody Syer and
Kasey Clark led the team with two hits, while Clark connected on his team-best 13th double of the season and picked up an RBI for the Warhawks.
Nick Freeman added a pair of walks.
Pintaro needed 126 pitches in the outing, but was able to save the Hawks' bullpen by working into the eighth inning. One week after striking out 12 Warhawks at Q.V. Lowe Field, he struck out only four in the appearance. He allowed just two unearned runs to improve to 10-3 on the year.
Leon led all players with three hits and added two runs scored and an RBI. Christian had two hits, a home run and a triple, and drove in two runs. Pajer, Weaver and Tilly added two hits apiece, while Tilly drove in a pair.
The Warhawks closed the season with a 30-21 overall record, their most wins as an NCAA Division II member. Shorter advanced in the tournament to play Valdosta State Sunday at 10 a.m.
