'Roo Baseball Takes One of Two from Patriots

SHERMAN, Texas – The Austin College baseball team fell 7-5 in game one of its doubleheader against Arlington Baptist University on Friday night at Baker Field before bouncing back with a convincing 9-1 game two victory, bringing the team's record to 2-4 on the season.

In game one, the Patriots jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first but Austin College countered back with a two-run single from Cody Goggins, plating Oscar Gonzalez and Brett Taff to square things up. However, Arlington Baptist pushed four runs across in the second to open things up and make it a 6-2 game, and the lead would grow to 7-2 in the fourth.

Gonzalez scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the fifth and Bennett Reagan brought home a run with a single in the sixth to trim it to a 7-4 game, and the 'Roos would get the deficit down to 7-5 on an RBI from Justin Alphonse in the seventh. However, that's as close as things would get.

Kyle Lemke took the loss for Austin College, surrendering six runs – five earned – on seven hits with a strikeout and two walks in 1.1 innings of work. Taff finished 2-for-4 with two doubles, and Jake Webster also went 2-for- 4 in the loss. 

Arlington Baptist struck first again in game two, scoring a run in the top of the first but Austin College answered back in the second inning when Clay Gilbert drove in Josh Boring to even things up. The 'Roos grabbed their first lead of the game in the third, with James Wyche and Justin Alphonse each knocking in a run to make it 3-1.

The Austin College lead grew to 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth, as Nick Flynn brought home a run with a sacrifice fly and Webster scored on a passed ball. Flynn would drive in another run in the sixth to extend the Austin College cushion to 6-1, and Tucker Fogle scored on a wild pitch later in the inning to make it a 6-run lead. Alphonse drove in another run in the inning, and Josh Boring finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly to make it 9-1 after six.

That's how things would end, and Ryan Culp picked up the victory in relief after tossing 4.0 scoreless innings. Culp surrendered just one hit while striking out four batters. Flynn, Alphonse, Boring, and Webster each had two hits to pace Austin College at the dish, and the 'Roos had eight steals as a team. 

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