Hawks win Game 1, drop Game 2 to open baseball series with Methodist

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Huntingdon baseball team split with Methodist University in the first two games of a conference series on Friday.

The Hawks won the first game 10-1 but fell 6-1 in Game 2. The two teams will play Game 3 on Saturday at noon.

With one USA South Athletic Conference game remaining, Huntingdon (21-14) is third in the conference standings at 16-9. Ferrum (22-15, 18-8 USA South) leads the USA South with one conference game to play and Covenant (21-12, 15-7 USA South) is second with five conference games to play. With four USA South games remaining apiece, Piedmont (22-13, 14-9 USA South) and Methodist (20-14, 14-9 USA South) are tied for fourth.

The Hawks scored all 10 runs in the final four innings to win Game 1. Third baseman Jordan Freeman and pinch hitter J. Gardiner each had two RBIs and a run during a six-run ninth inning.

Left fielder Patrick Kucera was 3-for-5 with a RBI, two runs and a stolen base in the game and center fielder Trammell DeJarnett was 2-for-4 with a RBI, two runs and two stolen bases. Second baseman Josh Hines was 2-for-3 with two runs and a RBI.

Right fielder Gunnar Peters had a RBI and first baseman Will Pharis and catcher Austin Clanton each scored once.

Senior Gavin Free (5-4) earned the win in eight innings of work, scattering 10 hits, striking out four, walking two and allowing one earned run. Free is second in the conference in strikeouts with 67 this season.

Joseph Fincher (5-3) took the loss in Game 2, striking out two, walking two and allowing eight hits and two earned runs in seven innings.

Trailing 4-0 in the eighth inning, Huntingdon made it a three-run game when DeJarnett scored on a sacrifice fly by Pharis. But Methodist answered with two runs in the bottom of the eighth and closed out the game in the top of the ninth.

Short stop Landon Sessions was the only Hawk with multiple hits in Game 2, finishing 2-for-4.