ATLANTA – Centre baseball scored in each of the first six innings Sunday, winning 10-6 at Oglethorpe to claim a Southern Athletic Association series at Anderson Field.
The Colonels' record moves to 16-9 overall and 5-6 in the SAA, while the host Stormy Petrels are 9-18 (5-7 SAA).
HIGHLIGHTS
As they did in the first two games of the series, the Colonels scored in the top of the first to open up an early advantage.
Chris Esselman drove in
Will Kirk with a single to left, and
Jordan Gunter delivered a two-out, two-RBI single to right to score Esselman and
Seth Hagan.
Oglethorpe was able to get one back in the bottom of the frame on
Nick Hoffman, but Centre increased its lead with two more in the second. Kirk and
Drew Schacht both came in on a costly wild pitch to make it 5-1.
Centre kept it going in the third, scoring two more runs to push the advantage up to 7-1.
Parker Selin crossed home on a wild pitch, and
Cameron Duggins came in on a sacrifice fly from Kirk.
After Hoffman retired the first two batters in the bottom of the inning, the Petrels manufactured a two-run rally on two outs to trim the deficit to 7-3.
Jake Holloway led off the fourth with a double down the left field line, and would come in on
Seth Hagan's RBI single up the middle.
He helped Centre manufacture another run in the fifth, contributing a sacrifice fly after Selin worked his way to third.
Gunter made it six straight scoring innings for the Colonels in the following frame, plating Esselman on another sacrifice fly to make it 10-5.
Oglethorpe scored one in the eighth, but Holloway and Schacht did their part as relief pitchers to help close out the victory.
Holloway finished 3-for-5 at the plate, driving in one while scoring one. Esselman went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs and an RBI. Gunter led all individuals with three RBIs.
Hoffman (4-1) earned the win, allowing 11 hits and five runs while striking out five. Holloway threw three innings, surrendering an unearned run, and Schacht pitched a near-spotless ninth.
UP NEXT
The Colonels travel to take on Hanover in a midweek contest Wednesday at 4 p.m.
