'Roo Baseball Sweeps Arlington Baptist to Open 2016

SHERMAN, Texas – For the second straight year, the Austin College baseball team opened the season with a doubleheader sweep against Arlington Baptist. This year the 'Roos kicked off the 2016 campaign with wins of 7-5 and 4-0 against the visiting Patriots.

In the first game the 'Roos used a big third inning to go on top 6-0 before holding off the Patriots late, and Braley Williams came on to close the door on ABC and earn his first save of the year. Scott Gelbart knocked in a run and James Arguello had a two-run triple, while Austin Dudley belted a double for another RBI in the six-run inning.

A two-run homer for Arlington Baptist put the Patriots on the board in the fourth, and two more runs would come home in the fifth. One more run came home in the sixth to make it a 7-5 game, but Williams worked a 1-2-3 seventh to secure the win.

Brett Moody picked up the victory, tossing 5.2 innings while surrendering five runs on six hits with four strikeouts. RJ Melton went 2-for-3 with two runs and Jeremy Halford added a pair of hits, and Thomas Oberg went 2-for-4 with a double. Arguello, Gelbart, and Dudley each went 1-for-3.

In game two, Mychael Parish tossed a gem to get the victory on the bump. Parish went the distance, allowing only two hits and a walk while striking out six to get the shutout victory. The 'Roos picked up two runs in the fourth to break a scoreless tie, with Melton belting an RBI double, and then in the sixth inning, Oscar Gonzalez smacked a two-run double in his first career at-bat to provide some extra cushion for Parish.

Arguello went 2-for-3 with two doubles to lead the 'Roos offensively, as Austin College collected seven hits as a team.

The 'Roos and Patriots will square off again tomorrow morning to finish up the series with first pitch coming at 9:30 a.m. at Baker Field.

Austin College athletic teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.