NEW ORLEANS, La. – The University of Tennessee Southern baseball team opened Southern States Athletic Conference play with a series opening split with Loyola on Friday. UTS took game one 8-6 and fell in the nightcap 12-0 in seven. UTS moved to 6-4 on the year and 1-1 in league play.
GAME ONE: UTS 8, LOYOLA 6
The UT Southern bats were on fire in game one tallying up 12 base knocks and plating eight runs.
In the opening inning,
Cody Womble put one in play that allowed
Gattis Henley. Loyola would tie the game back at one after one complete. Both teams would score again in the third. UTS took back the lead on a sacrifice fly from
Collin Perkins, driving in
Devin Buckhalter.
In the fourth, put up a four spot that held the lead for the duration. Buckhalter singled to left scoring
Zach Chaney. Henley also singled to left scoring
Cannon Raby.
Brayden Buckner drew a free pass forcing in Henley, and Perkins later scored on a wild pitch. UTS led 6-2 after four.
In the fifth, Buckhalter singled through the middle plating Chaney once again. After five, UTS led 7-5.
Buckner added another run in the sixth on a double down the left field line scoring Womble.
Loyola threatened in the six but only yielded one run.
Chambers McGillberry (3-0) tossed 4.1 innings in the start. He allowed six hits and three earned runs.
Tavien Tigg got the final two outs in the fifth inning allowing one earned run.
Jake Stuteville (Sv. 1) hurled the final two innings striking out four and issuing one walk.
GAME TWO: LOYOLA 12, UTS 0
In game two the Firehawks put up two hits, one by Henley and one by Raby.
Barrett Brown (1-1) took the loss tossing four innings. He allowed six earned runs on six hits.
Danton Rinehart tossed one inning allowing two runs.
Austin Uptain and
Jackson Moon split the sixth. Uptain allowed three runs, and Moon recorded two strikeouts.
NEXT UP
The Firehawks will hit the field again Saturday, February 15, at one p.m., for the series rubber game.
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