20th-ranked Hawks split with two-time defending national champion Marietta

MARIETTA, Ohio – The Huntingdon baseball team scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to win Game 1 on Saturday and two-time defending national champion Marietta took Game 2.

Huntingdon, ranked 20th by the American Baseball Coaches Association, won the first game 6-5. Marietta, ranked sixth by the ABCA and fourth by D3baseball.com, won the second game 9-2

The loss in Game 2 snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Hawks. During that stretch, Huntingdon (16-6) picked up four wins against nationally ranked opponents.

In Game 1 on Saturday, the Hawks trailed 5-4 entering the ninth. A Tyler Blackwell single scored Trey Smith to tie the game and Austin White singled in Blackwell for the game-winning run.

White finished the game 3-for-5 with a RBI and a run and Blackwell was 2-for-5 with a RBI and two runs. Joseph Odom scored the Hawks' first run on an error in the first inning and Grant Brown singled to score Evan Agnew in the fourth inning.

A two-run triple by Agnew gave the Hawks a 4-0 lead in the top of the fifth before Marietta (9-4) rallied.

Cory Belyeu (5-0) earned the win in 2 1/3 innings of relief. Starter Craig Brown went 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven, walking two, scattering five hits and allowing four earned runs. Neil Lawler picked up his third save of the season.

In Game 2, Huntingdon scored two runs in the second inning. White scored on a Seth Currie sacrifice fly and Agnew scored on a wild pitch to tie the game 2-2. But Marietta scored five runs in the next two innings and added two final runs in the eighth inning.

Grant Brown led the Hawks with two hits in Game 2. Gavin Free (3-3) took the loss.

Huntingdon returns to action on Friday at Mississippi College.