BY: Hannah Long
The AUM baseball team set out to face the Choctaws of Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss. on April 17 and 18. This series was a big one for the Warhawks. The GSC tournament is coming up, and they needed this weekend to be in their favor.
Game one started off hot for AUM as they scored one run in the first inning to kick things off. Senior Troy Jones pitched eight innings, only allowing three runs on eight hits and striking out six Choctaws.
The Choctaws answered AUM’s one run and scored a run in the second inning, bringing the game to a tie. The fourth and fifth innings were quiet, but Mississippi College woke up and scored another run in the sixth, putting them within one run of the Warhawks. They scored again in the eighth, making the game 3-1. The Warhawks tried to rally in the ninth when Sage Smelley singled with bases loaded to bring the score 3-2. With two outs, Arrington up to bat and runners in scoring position, the Warhawks thought they had it under control. Unfortunately, Arrington struck out, leaving the Choctaws with the first win of the series.
Game two started off quiet for both the Warhawks and Choctaws for four straight innings. Senior Micah Henderson struck out a pair, allowing only one run to be scored by the Choctaws in the fifth inning.
With Mississippi College up by one, the Warhawks answered in the seventh inning and they brought the game to a tie. The game went into the tenth inning, still 1-1, until the Choctaws scored on a sacrifice fly to win the game.
Game three, like the other two, was neck and neck the whole time. Mississippi College struck first, leading 3-0, but the Warhawks rallied in the last four innings to tie the game 3-3. In the twelfth inning, AUM scored a run, making it 4-3, with MC still left to bat. The Choctaws answered with two runs on one hit and won the game with another sacrifice fly.