Huntingdon bats come alive for 32 hits in doubleheader

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Huntingdon baseball team bounced back from a disappointing Saturday with two big wins on Sunday.

The Hawks rapped out 14 hits in an 11-8 win over Wabash College in Game 1 and followed up with 18 hits in a 20-8 win over Capital University in Game 2.

"That was good for us, especially after the way we played last night," Huntingdon head coach D.J. Conville said of the Hawks' 10-1 loss to Wabash on Saturday. "I thought the guys responded well and competed hard today. Grant Brown and Joseph Odom had a great day at the plate and we looked good up and down the lineup.

"Against Wabash, our bullpen was excellent, our defense played better and we hit the ball well. Against Capital, that's the best we've looked at the plate to this point. Now, we've just got to keep working and continue to get better. The whole idea is to get better each game."

Brown and Odom led Huntingdon (9-3) with a combined 12 hits, nine RBIs, eight runs and a home run.

Brown was 6-for-9 on the day with five RBIs and four runs. Odom was 6-for-9 with four RBIs and four runs, including a two-run homer. Brown was 4-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs against Capital (1-1) and Odom was 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs against Wabash (2-4).

The Hawks set the tone early in both games. After falling behind 3-0 in the first inning against Wabash, Huntingdon answered with seven runs in the second inning. A Wabash error allowed Evan Agnew and Austin White to score Huntingdon's first two runs. Four straight doubles brought in the next five runs. Brown doubled in one run and Seth Currie doubled in two runs to make it 5-3. Odom doubled to make it 6-3 and a Trey Smith double made it 7-3.

The Little Giants tied the game 7-7 in the third before the Hawks answered with four runs during the next three innings. Odom scored on a passed ball and Agnew singled in Smith in the fourth inning. An Odom single scored Brown in the fifth and a Kevin Plyler sacrifice bunt scored Agnew in the sixth.

Parker Adams (3-0) picked up the win, striking out eight, walking one, allowing one run and four hits in 6 1/3 innings of relief. Adams pitched into the ninth before freshman Tyler Spivey struck out the final two batters for his third save of the season.

In Game 2, the Hawks scored seven runs in the first inning, five in the second and four in the third. An Odom two-run homer and a three-run triple by Brown highlighted the first inning. By the time Tyler Blackwell hit a three-run homer in the third, Huntingdon led 16-5.

Blackwell finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs against Capital. White was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs, Smith was 2-for-3 with three runs, Jordan Freeman was 2-for-2 with three runs and Currie had an RBI and two runs. Plyler had an RBI and a run, Agnew had an RBI and a run and Marks Abernathy scored once.

Cory Belyeu (3-0) picked up the win, striking out three, walking two and scattering five hits in five innings. Caleb Cofield, Craig Brown, Mitchell Luckie and Tate Fowler combined for seven strikeouts, one walk and four hits during the final four innings.

"One of the things I like about this team is we find ways to win," Conville said. "Sometimes it's with pitching and sometimes it's at the plate. Earlier this week we won a 2-1 game with strong pitching. This weekend, our offense stepped up. It's a sign of a good team, that whether it's a 2-1 game or a 13-12 game, you can give yourself a chance to win."

Huntingdon returns to action on Wednesday at Emory. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.