The Oglethorpe baseball team earned a doubleheader split with Sewanee Saturday to start a three-game SAA series. They defeated the homestanding Tigers 7-3 in the opening game, but fell 1-0 in 10 innings in Game 2. With the results, the Stormy Petrels moved to 6-13 overall and 3-2 in SAA play on the season.
In Game 1, the Petrels jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the contest when senior designated hitter Jacob Gassert earned a bases-loaded walk. They extended that advantage in the fourth with three more runs. Oglethorpe loaded the bases to lead off the frame and junior second baseman Austin Jackson came through with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. After another walk, senior third baseman Andrew Mink followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0. One batter later, junior first baseman Jack Bartlewski walked with the bases loaded to make it 4-0 in favor of the Petrels.
In the sixth, Jackson led off with a solo home run. After that, the Petrels loaded the bases and sophomore catcher Alec Babb walked with the bases loaded to make it 6-0. One batter later, freshman left fielder Sebastian Lopez drove in a run with a fielder's choice to give the Petrels their final run of the game and make it 7-0.
Meanwhile, junior righty Noah Cole pitched an outstanding game for Oglethorpe. He allowed a pair of unearned runs in the seventh, but left the game having allowed no earned runs on just four hits and four walks over 6 2/3 innings.
Sewanee scored one more in the ninth to make it 7-3, then brought the potential tying run to the plate with two outs. However, junior right-hander Dylan Childress came on and got a game-clinching strikeout to earn the save.
Mink finished the game 3-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, an RBI, and a run scored. Babb went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.
Game 2 proved to be a pitcher's duel in which neither team could take advantage of their scoring chances. The teams combined to leave 22 men on base during the scheduled seven-inning contest, including a combined 10 over the three extra innings. Oglethorpe left 12 on base for the game while Sewanee stranded 10.
Sophomore right-hander Devlin Basinger delivered an outstanding start for the Petrels, allowing just two hits over and three walks over six innings. Childress followed up with three scoreless innings of work, allowing just two hits and two walks himself.
In the bottom of the 10th, senior right-hander Caleb Feibus gave up a leadoff triple, but he induced a groundout and a popout to bring himself to the brink of getting out of the inning. A wild pitch with two outs, though, allowed the winning run to score and gave the Tigers a 1-0 win.
Oglethorpe pounded out 10 hits and earned four walks but were unable to scratch a run across over 10 innings. Senior right fielder Patrick Burnette went 3-for-5 with a stolen base while Bartlewski went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk. Freshman shortstop Billy Finch and junior center fielder both went 2-for-4, as well, with Finch earning a stolen base.
The Petrels will be back in action on Sunday, when they close their three-game series in Tennessee with the rubber game at 1 p.m. EDT.