'Roo Baseball Edged Twice at Southwestern

GEORGETOWN, Texas - The Austin College baseball team came up just short in both halves of its twinbill at Southwestern University on Friday, falling 13-9 in game one and 5-4 in game two against the Pirates. The 'Roos are now 5-10 overall and 1-4 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play.

Southwestern jumped out to a 2-0 lead after an inning in game one, and after James Wyche came home on an error to make it 2-1, the Pirates answered with two runs in the bottom of the third to make the score 5-1. The margin grew to 6-1 after four innings, but an RBI double from Cody Goggins cut it to 6-2 through five. Southwestern's lead grew to 9-2 heading into the seventh, and after Goggins and Jake Webster each drove in a run to make it 9-4, the Pirates would plate three more to make it a 12-4 game. Austin College would fall behind 13-4 heading into the ninth, when the 'Roos tried to mount a furious comeback. Webster got things started with a two-run double, and Clay Gilbert drove in two more runs on a single up the middle. An error opened the door for one more run and make it 13-9, but that's how things would end.

Webster went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Goggins went 2-for-4 with a pair or runs batted in, and Oscar Gonzalez went 2-for-5 and scored twice. Jordan Miller took the loss, surrendering five runs on four hits with five walks in 2.2 innings of action. 

In game two, the teams remained scoreless through three and a half innings before Southwestern pushed three runs across in the bottom of the fourth. Michael Winterrowd scored on a balk in the sixth to cut it to a 3-1 game, but the Southwestern lead grew to 4-1 in the seventh. In the eighth inning the 'Roos plated three runs to square things up, with Brett Taff and Goggins each drawing a bases loaded walk to bring home the first two runs, and Justin Alphonse was hit by a pitch with the bases still full, scoring Gonzalez and making it 4-4. The Pirates would reclaim the lead in the bottom of the eighth with a sacrifice fly, and that would prove to be the game-winner.

Jake Thomas absorbed the loss in relief, giving up one run on one hit in an inning of work. Nick Flynn went 2-for-2 to lead Austin College at the plate, as the 'Roos were held to four hits in the game. Cody Johnson was strong in his first career start, getting a no-decision after giving up three runs on just three hits in 5.0 innings pitched.