MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Centre baseball split a Southern Athletic Association doubleheader Saturday at Rhodes, falling 14-13 in game one before bouncing back with a 4-2 victory in the second contest.
The Colonels end the day 18-10 overall and 6-7 in the SAA, while the Lynx move to 18-14 (8-6 SAA).
HIGHLIGHTS: RHODES 14, CENTRE 13
After three scoreless innings, Centre turned in a big fourth to take a 7-0 lead over Rhodes.
Drew Schacht led off the inning with a single, and
Chris Esselman eventually drove in two on a bases-loaded single to right center.
Cameron Duggins later walked with the bases loaded, and
Parker Selin followed with a sacrifice fly to center field. After an error scored another run, Schacht capped the production with a two-run single to right.
The Lynx scored twice in response in the bottom of the fourth, finally getting a run across on starter
Sam Shelley.
The Colonels plated five more in the sixth, capitalizing on Rhodes' pitching struggles.
Jake Holloway walked in a run, and
Seth Hagan delivered a bases-loaded RBI single to left to bring in another.
Esselman contributed another RBI by reaching on a fielder's choice, and a balk brought Holloway across.
Mason Falbo drove Hagan in on a sacrifice fly.
Trailing 12-2, Rhodes began its major comeback with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. After chasing Shelley, the Lynx were able to score three to trim the deficit to 12-5.
Falbo launched a solo homerun in the eighth – his first of the season.
The Lynx scored eight in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by P York's grand slam with two outs on the board to level the score at 13-13.
Rhodes would win in the ninth on a wild pitch.
HIGHLIGHTS: CENTRE 4, RHODES 2
Both sides stranded runners in the early innings of game two, but Centre again scored the game's first runs in the top of the third.
Will Kirk and Schacht started the inning with consecutive singles, and Esselman later delivered a crucial two-out, three-run homerun to put Centre up 3-0. It marked the sophomore's second homer of the past three games and third of his career.
In the sixth,
Jordan Gunter singled to right center and eventually touched home on a balk.
Esselman, the reigning SAA Pitcher of the Week, also got the starting nod. He gave up just three hits in a complete-game victory – one being a two-run homerun for Rhodes in the sixth – and fanned five batters.
With a 4-2 lead heading to the bottom of the seventh, he retired the Lynx batters in order to seal the victory.
UP NEXT
The Colonels and Lynx close the series Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
