Huntingdon wins fourth conference series with split against Methodist

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Huntingdon baseball team split a doubleheader with Methodist University on Saturday to win its fourth USA South Athletic Conference series of the season.

The Hawks won 11-5 before falling 15-2 in the second game of the doubleheader. Huntingdon took the first game of the series 10-3 on Friday night.

The conference series was the last for the Hawks before the USA South conference tournament begins on Wednesday. Seeding for the tournament will be announced on Sunday.

Despite the Hawks' 12-22 overall record, Huntingdon wrapped up conference play with a 9-9 record in the USA South. Huntingdon entered last season's conference tournament with an 8-9 conference record.

Huntingdon took control of Game 1 with seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Trailing 5-4 in the seventh, the Hawks tied the game on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Fought. Freshman Garrett Breland launched a two-run home run over the right-field fence and into Fairview Avenue to give Huntingdon the lead for good.

The Hawks added their final four runs in the eighth inning on RBI singles from Hunter Bower, Joseph Calvert and Fought and a ground out from Breland.

Breland finished with the game with four RBIs, a run and two hits. Fought had three RBIs and two hits and Calvert was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs. Garrett Headley scored three runs and had two hits and Josh Hines scored twice and had two hits. Bower finished with an RBI and a run, Corey Lowe and Chris Fisher each scored once and Wes Powell had two hits.

C.J. Sauce (3-3) picked up the win in relief, striking out three, walking two and allowing one hit and one earned run in four innings. Calvert (1-1) took the loss in Game 2.

Breland had an RBI and a run in the second game, Fought scored one run and Cody Shoemaker had one RBI.