Dakota Beane, shown here earlier this season, had two hits and drove in two runs in the Hawks' 6-4 win over eighth-ranked Rhodes College on Tuesday. (Photo by Wesley Lyle)
Dakota Beane, shown here earlier this season, had two hits and drove in two runs in the Hawks' 6-4 win over eighth-ranked Rhodes College on Tuesday. (Photo by Wesley Lyle)

Huntingdon knocks off 8th-ranked Rhodes College

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Huntingdon baseball team rallied from a three-run deficit to beat eighth-ranked Rhodes College 6-4 on Tuesday.

The Hawks (14-6) trailed 4-1 after five innings before scoring two runs in the sixth and three runs in the seventh inning. Huntingdon held Rhodes (17-4) to two hits in the final five innings.

Trailing 4-3 in the seventh, Huntingdon opened the inning with back-to-back doubles by Jordan Freeman and Anthony Spivey. A single by Gunnar Peters scored Freeman to tie the game and a sacrifice bunt by Josh Hines scored Spivey to give the Hawks a 5-4 lead.

Peters added the final run on a single by Dakota Beane. Huntingdon made the lead count.

Making his first appearance on the mound this season, Patrick Kucera (1-0) struck out four and allowed two hits in the final four innings to get the win in relief. Freshman Blake Bailey, making his second collegiate start, went five innings, struck out two, walked two, scattered five hits and allowed four runs.

Beane was the only Huntingdon player with multiple hits and finished 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Clark Berry scored the Hawks' first run of the game when Spivey drew a bases-loaded walk in the third inning. Trailing 4-1 in the sixth inning, J. Gardiner singled to score Jordan Criswell and Beane singled to score Hines.

Huntingdon returns to conference play this weekend with a three-game series at Averett. Entering the series, the Hawks (13-5 USA South) are first in the conference and Averett (12-6, 8-4 USA South) is third.

The two teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. (CST), and a single game on Sunday at noon (CST).