Huntingdon baseball splits with Birmingham-Southern

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham-Southern double in the bottom of the seventh kept the Huntingdon baseball team from pulling off a sweep Sunday afternoon.

The Hawks beat the Panthers 4-2 in the first game before BSC pulled out a 2-1 win in Game 2. Game 1 was a regulation nine-inning game and Game 2 was shortened to seven innings.

Huntingdon (11-4) pounded out 15 hits in Game 1 before both teams settled into a pitcher's duel in Game 2. Cory Belyeu started the game for Huntingdon and pitched six innings, striking out 10, walking three, allowing four hits and one run. Parker Adams took the loss, giving up two hits and an earned run in 1/3 of an inning pitched.

Blake Stevens earned the start for BSC (6-5), striking out eight, walking one, allowing one run and five hits in six innings. Blake Yance picked up the win with three strikeouts in one inning pitched.

Huntingdon's Austin White went 2-for-3 and was the only Hawk with multiple hits in the game. Jordan Freeman's solo home run to lead off the second inning gave Huntingdon an early lead. The Panthers tied the game in the fourth inning and won the game in the bottom of the seventh on a Stephen Denton double to center field.

In Game 1, Huntingdon's Grant Brown broke open a scoreless game in the top of the fifth with a solo home run. Birmingham-Southern answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Huntingdon tied the game in the sixth on a Tyler Blackwell single and took the lead in the seventh when Brown scored on a balk. Brown singled in the Hawks' final run in the eighth.

Brown was 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs in the first game and Seth Currie was 3-for-5. Trey Smith, Freeman and Evan Agnew each had two hits. Agnew also scored twice.

Caleb Cofield picked up the win in relief, striking out four and allowing four hits in four innings. Grant Lowman started the game and went four innings, striking out five, walking three, allowing two hits and two runs. Freshman Tyler Spivey picked up the save, striking out two in the ninth inning.

Huntingdon travels to Oglethorpe on Tuesday.