The Oglethorpe baseball team split a doubleheader with the No. 22 Birmingham-Southern Panthers Sunday at Striplin Field in Birmingham, Alabama, moving to 13-20 on the season overall and 9-13 in SAA play. The Stormy Petrels got an extra-innings win in Game 2, scoring a run in the ninth inning of a scheduled seven-inning game on an RBI single from senior center fielder Chris Keane. That provided the winning margin as the Petrels scored their third win over a nationally-ranked team in the last two weekends.
Freshman right-hander Colby James pitched outstanding for the Petrels in relief in Game 2, getting through the final 3 2/3 innings without allowing a hit or a run and tallying just a single walk en route to his third win of the season. Sophomore right-hander Garrett Parkins pitched well, too, delivering a solid start of 5 1/3 innings, three hits and two runs. He did walk five batters, but struck out six en route to the no-decision.
The Petrels fell behind 2-0 on a Panther homer in the first inning, but fought back in the fifth. After the Petrels put their first two hitters on base in the inning, Keane sacrificed the runners to second and third, but as a bonus, the Birmingham-Southern pitcher threw the ball away, allowing Keane to reach safely and a run to score. The Petrels tied the game on an RBI groundout from senior catcher Alec Babb.
The Oglethorpe comeback attempt fell short in Game 1 of the doubleheader. Birmingham-Southern took a 4-0 lead into the eighth inning but the Petrels got a couple back on a 2-run Babb single with two outs. The Petrels brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth, but a flyout and a strikeout ended the threat and the game.
Birmingham-Southern struck early in Game 1, as well, scoring 3 runs in the opening frame off Petrel right-hander Colin Stewart. Stewart delivered a quality start, allowing 3 runs on three hits and two walks over six innings. He suffered the loss, though, as the Petrels couldn't dent the scoreboard other than the 2-run hit by Babb in the eighth.
The same two teams will be back at it Monday afternoon from Birmingham. It'll be another doubleheader, with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. Eastern.