The Oglethorpe baseball team closed out a series victory over the Sewanee Tigers Sunday in Tennessee, defeating the home side 5-3 to improve to 4-2 in SAA play on the season and 7-13 overall. The Stormy Petrels used timely hitting and good pitching to secure the win and take two of three from Sewanee.
The Petrels again got off to a good start, as junior second baseman Austin Jackson singled and senior right fielder Patrick Burnette walked to set up senior first baseman Andrew Mink. The Oglethorpe slugger punched the ball into left field for a run-scoring single to give his team a 1-0 advantage.
The Tigers answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning and two more in the fourth, taking a 3-1 lead. However, the Petrels responded over the next two innings and turned the game in their favor. An error and a balk put a runner in scoring position for Jackson in the fifth, and he came through with a double over the head of the right fielder to drive in a run and make it 3-2.
Then in the sixth, junior designated hitter Jack Bartlewski led off with a double and sophomore catcher Alec Babb chased him home with a single up the middle, tying the game at 3-3. Two batters later, freshman left fielder Sebastian Lopez singled up the middle and drove Babb to the plate, giving Oglethorpe the lead. Freshman shortstop Billy Finch sacrificed runners to second and third with one out. Junior center fielder Sam Buchanan grounded into a fielder's choice in which a runner was thrown out at the plate, leaving the Petrels with two outs. However, Jackson came through again with an RBI single to make it 5-3.
Sewanee put the potential tying runs on base with one out in the ninth, but Petrel closer Jack Bartlewski induced a couple of flyouts to secure the win. He earned his second save of the year, pitching two innings while shutting out the Tigers on one hit and one walk.
Freshman right-hander Drew Snow got the start and came away with his first career win. He allowed three runs on five hits and two walks over seven innings of work.
Jackson led the way for the Petrels offensively, going 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, two RBIs, and a run scored. Lopez went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
The Petrels will be back in action Wednesday when they welcome No. 16 Cortland to Anderson Field. After that, they'll head to Mount Berry to go against Berry in a three-game series Saturday and Sunday.