Baseball splits with Kentucky State
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
CHILDERSBURG, Ala. -- Miles was one strike away from extending its win streak to five games and earning a doubleheader sweep against visiting Kentucky State on Saturday. Â But a two-run rally in the top of the seventh helped the Thorobreds salvage a split as Miles won the opener 3-1 but fell 5-4 in the nightcap at Garland Justice Field.
Austin Pate twirled another gem in the opener to earn the victory while
Xavius Burden,
Reeves Brashear and
Peyton Logan each had three hits during the two games.
GAME 1: Miles 3, KSU 1
Playing in a smaller ballpark, runs looked as if they would be plentiful for both teams. Artie Santomo took Pate deep for a solo home run in the top of the first but Brashear answered in the bottom of the frame with a two-run blast to straightaway center - his team-leading sixth -  to put the Golden Bears on top for good.
Alex Bentley added a two-out RBI single in the second to give Miles a two-run advantage.
From there, both pitchers were in control. KSU starter Josh Dunn (5-4) allowed just five hits and a walk but he was outpitched by Pate (6-1), who allowed just five hits with no walks and six strikeouts. This was the third straight start where he has allowed just one earned run and saw his earned run average drop to 2.82. After the home run in the first, no other Thorobred runner reached third base, and after he allowed the tying runs to reach base in the seventh, he struck out the last two hitters for his fourth complete game of the season.
GAME 2: KSU 5, Miles 4
The nightcap was a see-saw affair that saw the lead change hands five times. But it was the Thorobreds who scored last off reliever Burden (0-2) to earn the come-from-behind win.
Miles starter William Donohoo allowed five hits and struck out five in six innings and handed Burden a 4-3 lead in the seventh. KSU got two hits with one out but Burden got the second out on a rundown between third and home on a comebacker. After a mound visit by head coach
Ty Roberts, Burden intentionally walked Cameron Starks to load the bases.
After running the count full, Burden induced weak contact from Russell Sims. But the dribbler to third base gave him an infield hit to tie the game. The throw to first was wde, which allowed the go-ahead run to cross the plate to give KSU the lead. Miles would put the tying run on in the seventh but Thorobreds starter Joe Crisp (3-2) got the final out on a fly out from
Brandon Conner.
Donohoo was given a 1-0 lead when Logan doubled home Brashear in the second. But he gave up a two-run single to Starks with two outs in the third.
Kolby Brannon had a sacrifice fly in the third to tie the game, then after KSU retook the lead in the top of the sixth, added a RBI single in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 3. A double play put two outs on the board but also allowed pinch runner
Damion Williams to score to give the Golden Bears a 4-3 advantage.
UP NEXT: Â Miles and Kentucky State play the rubber game of the series in Childersburg. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Â
