No. 4 Panthers split with Rhodes in SAA title series to force game three

More news about: Birmingham-Southern

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—After winning game one 4-0, the No. 4 Birmingham-Southern baseball team dropped the second game, 3-1, to Rhodes in the Southern Athletic Association Championship title series, sending it to game three tomorrow at 11 a.m.

The Panthers moved to 36-11, while the Lynx moved to 26-19. The teams will face off tomorrow, May 1, at 11 a.m. to determine the conference champion.

GAME 1

  • BSC won 4-0, with all four runs capitalizing on Rhodes errors.
  • Three of the Panthers' runs came in the bottom of the first, the first two on back-to-back errors and the third on an RBI double by senior Nathan Qualls.
  • Rhodes got its first hit in the top of the fourth, and got runners to third in the seventh and eighth innings, but were unable to capitalize.
  • The Panthers added their fourth run in the fifth on an RBI double by freshman A.J. Hunt.
  • Freshman Tyler Wise went 2-of-3 at the plate, while junior Sam Roberts was 2-of-4.
  • Junior Ryan Gaines (10-2) threw the complete-game shutout, giving up five hits with three strikeouts.

GAME 2

  • The Lynx capitalized on four BSC errors in game two to win 3-1.
  • Rhodes, playing as the home team, scored twice in the bottom of the fourth, the first on a BSC error and a play that also took first baseman Wise out of the game for BSC with a hand injury.
  • A sac-fly in the sixth put the Lynx up 3-0 before the Panthers scored their lone run in the top of the seventh, a Hunt sac-fly.
  • Seven different BSC players got single hits in the game, while Rhodes' Bennett Notestine went 3-of-3.
  • Junior Stephen Himic (8-3) took the loss on the mound after pitching the complete game and allowing seven hits and two earned runs with four strikeouts.

UP NEXT

  • The teams will face off tomorrow, May 1, at 11 a.m. to determine the conference champion.