Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 PULASKI, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Southern baseball team dropped the final pair of the four-game set with Grace by a total of three runs. Grace took game three 5-4 and game four 5-3 on Saturday. With windy and frigid temperatures below 40 degrees, the bats for both squads were hot.
GAME THREE
UT Southern (3-5) scored runs in the first, sixth, and seventh.
Grace (3-3) took the lead in the first when a Lancer runner was caught in a rundown. In the bottom of the first, Blake Birdsong would hook a long fly around the right field foul pole. Birdsong's drive scored Noah Junker. UTS led 2-1 after one.
In the third, grace would tack another run on to tie the game at three. In the fourth, GC would add three more runs to retake the lead of 5-2 heading to the fifth.
In the sixth, Kevin McCarthy homered to center. UTS trailed 5-3 heading to the seventh.
In the final inning, Rhett Birdsong hit a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Devin Buckhalter. The Firehawks would strand two on the bags.
Ridge Raper (0-2) got the start. Raper fanned four Lancer batters and allowed four earned runs in four innings of work. Gerry Wayne Davis tossed the final three innings in relief not allowing a hit and striking out four.
GAME TWO
UT Southern (3-6) scored in the first and fifth innings.
In the first, Grace would take 2-0 lead off a home run. In the bottom of the inning, Blake Birdsong would double to right field scoring Brantley Holden and Junker. UTS would tie GC after one at two.
In the fourth and fifth, the Lancers would add a combined three runs to lead 5-2.
In the bottom of the fifth, Josh Porter drew a free pass puching Rhett Birdsong across the plate.
Caiden Rodgers (0-2) tossed four innings. Rodgers gave up two earned runs and struck out five batters. Josh Simmons tossed the final three innings. Simmons allowed one earned run and struck out five.
NEXT UP
UT Southern will travel to Lebanon, Tenn., to clash with Cumberland on Tuesday, February 21st. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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