MARSHALL, Texas – In three games that were all decided by two runs or less, #21/#24 East Texas Baptist University took the series over Millikin University splitting the double header on Saturday. ETBU won game one, 5-4, for head coach
Jared Hood's 200
th career victory. The Big Blue then came back in the late innings for a 4-2 win in the final game of the series. ETBU is now 2-1 on the year.
Earning the win in game one was
Cole Godkin going six innings allowing six hits for two earned runs and two strikeouts.
Peyton Miller came in and worked the final out in the seventh inning for the save striking out the only batter he faced. In game two,
Jagger Neely went seven innings for the no decision with three strikeouts, no earned runs, and three hits.
Hayden Robichaux took the loss giving up two runs. Both
Trent Clark and
Robert Croft worked an inning as Croft earned a strikeout.
Carson Wilson and
Jacob Evangelista both had two RBI on the day while
Brett Wagner,
Ben Lea, and
Jake Miller all had one RBI. Wagner, Lea, and Miller's RBI were all on solo home runs.
Game 1
ETBU 5, Millikin 4
In a seven-inning game, both ETBU and Millikin scored a run in the first inning. Millikin took a 1-0 lead on a double to right field. On the third pitch of the game from Millikin, Wagner went yard to the deepest part of Wood Fields in center field to tie the game at one. Godkin then had three ground outs with a walk in the second before Millikin made it 2-1 in the third inning.
In the top of the fifth, Godkin retired the side as momentum shifted to ETBU. ETBU added three runs in the inning to take a 4-2 lead. Miller started the inning off with a solo home run to left field.
Jordan Hara followed with a triple to right field and
Jacob Evangelista walked. Evangelista then moved himself into scoring position on a steal setting up Wilson for a single through the left side scoring both of them to make it 4-2.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Lea had a shot to right field for a solo home run and a three-run advantage, 5-2, with one out. That was the final run for ETBU.
Millikin scored two runs off of Rece Gustafason cutting the lead to one, 5-4, with one out. After the second run came in, Miller came in and struck out the batter swinging to end the threat and win the game.
ETBU had six hits in the game as Wagner was 2-of-3 with a run scored and one RBU. Wilson, Lea, Miller, and Hara all had a hit.
Game 2
Millikin 3, ETBU 2
ETBU jumped out to a 2-0 lead through six innings but gave up three runs in the final two as they fell, 3-2. Neeley recorded three strikeouts in seven innings as one unearned run came in. ETBU had five hits in the game as Evangelista,
Jase Jones, Lea, Miller, and Hara each had one.
Neeley retired the first four batters of the game and then the runner that got on in the second inning was caught stealing by
Austin Barry. Neeley also retired the side in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings facing just 24 batters. In the seventh, Millikin collected the one unearned run and threatened with runners in scoring position but a double play from Hara to Jones ended the inning and kept the score ate 2-1.
Robichaux came in relief in the top of the eighth inning giving up back-to-back extra base hits. A triple started off the inning and then a double tied the game as Millikin's Smith came in. Clark then came in and the first batter fouled out for the first out. After a sac bunt put a runner on third base, Millikin's next batter flew out to left field for a sacrifice as they took the lead, 3-2. The final out came on a ground out but the Big Blue took the lead.
ETBU went three-up-and-down at the top of the line up in the bottom of the eighth inning facing a new pitcher in Agee. Croft came in for ETBU in the top of the ninth and went one-two-three with a strikeout to set up the Tiger's final at-bat. ETBU started the bottom of the inning with two groundouts and then Lea doubled to centerfield.
Parker Perez then grounded out as ETBU fell, 3-2.
ETBU will face top five teams next week in Alabama taking on #2 LaGrange, #4 Birmingham Southern, and Huntingdon.
