'Roo Baseball Bests Blackburn

SHERMAN, Texas - The Austin College baseball team only had six hits but they made them count on Saturday evening at Baker Field, as the 'Roos defeated visiting Blackburn College 6-4 to improve to 3-2 overall on the year.

The 'Roos got their first run of the game in the bottom of the first without needing to get a hit in the inning, as Mason Woodhouse came home after reaching on a fielder's choice and advancing around the bases on a wild pitch and a passed ball. A fielder's choice by Jake Trapani brought Woodhouse home to put Austin College on top 1-0. The lead grew to 2-0 in the fourth, as Brandon Hill belted an opposite field home run for the first hit of the game for Austin College.

Blackburn got one run back in the sixth to make it 2-1, and the Beavers pushed a pair of runs across in the seventh to surge ahead 3-2 but the lead would be short-lived. Tripp Thoms got the scoring started in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single to even things up, and Woodhouse brought home two more runs with a base hit of his own. Thoms would later score on a wild pitch to make it a 6-3 game. The Beavers got a solo homer from Adam Holm in the top of the ninth, but Kurtis Gustafson came on to earn his second save of the season as he closed the door on Blackburn in their final at-bat.

Jake Trapani got the win in relief for Austin College, giving up one run on one hit with three strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work. Garrett Gray got the no-decision but pitched well as the team's starter, giving up six hits while throwing 5.0 shutout innings with four strikeouts and zero walks. Hill went 2-for-3 to lead Austin College offensively, while Evan Roe took the loss for Blackburn after giving up a pair of runs in relief. 

Austin College and Blackburn wrap up their weekend series on Sunday with a doubleheader slated to start at 1:00 p.m.