The Oglethorpe baseball team suffered a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Rhodes Saturday in Memphis, Tennessee, falling 3-2 in Game 1 before dropping the second game 7-0. Both games were competitive throughout, with the homestanding Lynx tallying six runs in the sixth inning of Game 2 to pull away for the victory. The losses dropped the Stormy Petrels to 19-19 on the season overall and 9-11 in SAA play.
The first game was a pitcher's duel throughout, with Petrel starter Matt Davis throwing a complete game of eight innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk, striking out six Lynx batters. He was matched pitch-for-pitch by Rhodes starter Daniel Morris, though, as Davis' Rhodes counterpart allowed just two runs on seven hits through seven innings. Davis wound up suffering the loss, falling to 5-3 on the season.
Oglethorpe sophomore catcher Adrian Celata expanded his league lead in home runs, bombing his 11th round-tripper of the year in the first to give the Petrels a 2-0 lead. He finished the game 2 for 3 with the home run, a walk, two RBIs, and a run scored.
However, that turned out to be the only runs the Petrels would score on the day. The Lynx responded with a run in the third on a sacrifice fly, making it 2-1. They then turned the game around with two more runs in the fifth, taking the lead.
The Petrels staunched a potential larger rally in that inning, getting a double-play ball to exit the frame still behind just 3-2, but they couldn't get much offense going against the Lynx pitching staff. The Petrels brought the potential tying run into scoring position in the ninth on a single by senior shortstop Spencer Transue and a sacrifice bunt by sophomore right fielder Britton Araujo. Sophomore left fielder Jarvis Miller made an out on batter's interference, though, and Rhodes walked Celata intentionally before inducing junior designated hitter Brandon Fish to pop out to end the game.
Neither team got much going offensively to start Game 2. Senior left-hander Kyle Mitchell was very good, allowing just a single unearned run on five hits through five innings, striking out four and walking two. However, he wound up suffering his first loss of the year, as Rhodes starter Jack Mercer threw a shutout on eight hits.
The score remained 0-0 into the fifth, but Rhodes scratched their unearned run across after a 2-out error by the Petrels and a wild pitch. The Lynx then broke the game open with six runs in the sixth inning, pulling out to their 7-0 victory.
The Petrels tallied eight hits, with Miller, Celata and Fish securing two apiece.
"Today was a tough day for the offense," said Oglethorpe head coach Dan Giordano. "Our pitching was very good, especially our starting pitching, but we just couldn't string enough hits together to break through against their pitchers. We'll come back and look to salvage a game tomorrow."
The Petrels will finish out the series in Memphis at 2 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. They are now locked into sixth place in the SAA with their 9-11 record, and will travel to the home of the league's second-place team, which will be the winner of Sunday's game between Millsaps and Hendrix, April 22 through 24 for the SAA Tournament.