Golden Bears split 1-run games
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
Miles had two chances to earn last at-bat wins in a Saturday doubleheader against Tougaloo. The Golden Bears were not able to get the big his in a 3-2 loss in the opener but
Trevor Bates came through in the bottom of the seventh in the nightcap for a 10-9 win at historic Rickwood Field.
Austin Pate did not give up an earned run in a complete-game effort in the opener and was the tough luck loser.
Kolby Brannon earned a win in relief after coughing up the lead in Game 2. Bates had three hits and three runs batted in over the twinbill.
GAME 1: Tougaloo 3, Miles 2
Three Miles errors led to three unearned runs in the loss. The Bulldogs scored twice in the first thanks to two Golden Bears errors but evened the score on a two-out, two run triple by Bates in the fourth. But spotty defense allowed Tougaloo to get on the board again in the fifth. With two outs, Zarius Holliman singled but would advance to second on a bad throw. He would come in to score on a single by DeShawn Pittman, his second RBI of the game.
Miles had a chance to extend the game in the bottom of the seventh. With one out,
Alex Bentley and
Reeves Brashears reached base but
Peyton Logan hit into a double play to end the game. The loss wasted a strong pitching performance by Pate (2-1), who allowed seven hits - six singles - and struck out eight.
GAME 2: Miles 10, Tougaloo 9
After squeezing out just four hits in the opener, Miles did a bit better in the nightcap but three Tougaloo errors certainly helped the cause. Down 1-0 going into the bottom of the second, Miles put four on the board without the benefit of a hit in the bottom of the frame to take its first lead of the afternoon.
From there, Tougaloo continued to score but the Golden Bears had an answer each time. The Bulldogs scored three times in the top of the fourth to tie the game but RBI from
Tyler Sampson and Logan put Miles back in front. Three runs for the Bulldogs in the top of the fifth chased started
William Donahoo and gave them the lead. Two errors helped Miles regain the lead in the bottom of the inning before a RBI single by Bentley scored Bargery for a 9-7 Golden Bears advantage.
It looked as if the Golden Bears would escape the slugfest with a calm seventh inning but with two outs, Eric Crawford got his third hit of the game and fourth RBI with a 2-run double that tied the game at nine. But
Kolby Brannon (1-0), who gave up the game-tying hit, earned the win after
Damion Williams and
Justin Bisharat started the bottom of the seventh with singles and Williams scored on Bates' walk-off hit.
Brannon had two hits and Bargery and Bentley each had two RBI in the win.
UP NEXT
Miles hosts Alabama-Huntsville Wednesday. First pitch of the doubleheader is at noon.
