Central, SC – Southern Wesleyan fell in both of their games on Saturday. They dropped the morning game against the Auburn Montgomery Warhawks in an extra inning 10-8 final score. Then in the evening battle against the Limestone Saints they fell in a 12-1 final.
The Warriors picked up 10 hits against the Warhawks with Tristan Tillman leading the team with two. Marty Grisso picked up his first home run of the season, and Luke Taylor recorded a double. Grisso drove in three of the six RBIs. Jaylen Morgan started on the mound for Southern Wesleyan and pitched 3.1 innings. Gehrig Schreiber, Garrett Swink, and Josiah Sizemore had the lone strikeouts of the game.
Southern Wesleyan picked up two hits off the bats of Cam Mitchem and Caide Linker in the loss to the Saints. Mitchem picked up a double and recorded the lone RBI of the game. Tristan Tillman stole a base, and both Marty Grisso and Griffin Pickhardt were hit by pitches. Mason Clark started the game on the mound. Gage Shaver, Matthew White and Coleman Wylie came in to pitch in relief. Both White and Wylie struck out four batters. Shaver struck out three.
Game Vitals
Final Game One: Auburn Montgomery 10, Southern Wesleyan 8
Final Game Two: Limestone 12, Southern Wesleyan 1
Records: Southern Wesleyan (1-7) Auburn Montgomery (3-4) Limestone (3-3)
How It Happened
Game One: Southern Wesleyan vs Auburn Montgomery
Southern Wesleyan attacked the plate in the top of the first inning. Tristan Tillman led off the inning with a single to center field and then advanced to third as Jack Dennison knocked a single into right field. With Cam Mitchem at the plate, a passed ball allowed Tillman to come in to score the first run of the game for the Warriors. Caide Linker hit the ball into shallow center field for a single that brought Dennison across home plate to extend the Warriors lead to two.
Auburn Montgomery countered in the top of the second inning as a series of hits by the Warhawks allowed four runs to cross home plate.
The Warhawks struck again in the top of the sixth inning as they brought two more runs in to score to extend their lead to 5-2.
Southern Wesleyan began to chip away at the Warhawks lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Back-to-back hit by pitches to Gage Shaver and Ryan Postnieks put two on and brought Vincent Angle up to bat. Angle laid down a bunt and then reached on the error as the Warhawks catcher could not collect the ball in time to load up the bases. Luke Taylor ground into a double play that took Angle off the bases, but brought Shaver in to score to put the Warriors behind the Warhawks 6-3.
Auburn Montgomery regained their four run advantage as an error by the Warriors allowed another run to come in to score. They scored again in the top of the ninth inning.
The Warriors threatened in the bottom of the ninth inning. Tristan Tillman led off the inning with a single to center field and then advanced to third as Cam Mitchem hit a single to center field. With runners on the corners, Marty Grisso came up to bat and drilled the ball over the left field wall for his first home run of the season to put the Warriors back within two runs. Caide Linker walked and then Jason Culley came in to pinch run for him. Culley advanced to second on a passed ball. Nolan Evatt hit a single to center field to bring Culley in to score to put the Warriors within one run of the Warhawks. Another passed ball allowed Evatt to advance to second. Ryan Postnieks ground out to the shortstop to allow Evatt to advance to third. With Evatt ninety feet away from home, Josh Long hit a single into right field to bring Evatt in to score and tie the game to force extra innings.
However, the Warhawks were about to bring two more runs in to score in the top of the tenth to win the game in a 10-8 final score.
Game Two: Southern Wesleyan vs Limestone
Limestone went on the offensive early on as they brought four runs in to score in the top of the first inning.
Southern Wesleyan countered in the bottom of the inning. Tristan Tillman led off with a walk and then stole second base to get into scoring position. With one out, Cam Mitchem hit a double to left field to bring Tillman in to score.
The Saints brought runs in to score in the second, third, fourth, seventh and ninth innings to win the game in a 12-1 final.
What's Next
The Warriors will remain at home on February 11 as they host the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears at 5pm. Southern Wesleyan will open up Conference Carolinas action on February 14-15 as they travel to Belmont, NC to take on the Crusaders of Belmont Abbey. They will return to Dr. C Keith Connor Field on February 18 to take on the Mars Hill Lions at 5pm.
