Asbury Baseball Swept by Southern Poly
Game 1 | Game 2 | Season Stats
MARIETTA, Ga. – Asbury led early in game one and left the tying run at third in a 6-5 loss to Southern Poly State University in the season opener for both teams. The Hornets went on to win game two 15-5. They will play another doubleheader on Saturday at 12pm.
The Eagles (0-2) scored first in game one as Landon Skaggs knocked home Casey Messner from second in the third inning. That was the first career hit for Skaggs, and he finished the game with two. Southern Poly tied the game in the fourth before a four spot in the fifth put them ahead 5-1. Isaiah Bell started and allowed only three hits but control was a problem for Eagle pitchers on this day.
Bell walked eight, hit a guy, threw a wild pitch and balked three times including the first run of the game for the Hornets. He left in the fifth after two batters, surrendering three runs in four innings. Josh Bertke got through the fifth but allowed three runs on two hits and walked one. Austyn Sailings pitched a perfect seventh with one strikeout.
Asbury made their comeback late. After Andrew Moran grounded out to drive in Tyler Messner in the sixth, the Eagles made a charge in the seventh. Down 6-2 entering the top of the seventh, Matt Cox led off with a walk followed by Casey Messner’s single. Matt Mitchell followed with a sacrifice fly to score Cox. Skaggs doubled to left to give the Eagles runners at second and third. Jordan Cox beat out an infield single to score Messner. Pinch runner Mitch Watson scored on a passed ball to bring the score to 6-5. After Jared Hahn came in to run for Cox, a groundout moved him to third by was left stranded there as a strikeout ended the game.
In game two the Eagles young pitching stumbled, walking 10 and hitting two. In the two games Southern Poly walked eight by contrast the Eagles walked 19 and hit five more. Asbury nearly outhit SPSU on the day 18-17, and did outhit the Hornets in game one 10-5.
Simeon Bell and Jordan Cox each picked up three hits on the day, Bell had two in game one and Cox added two in game two. Bell did score twice in the second game. Casey Messner scored three times on the day including twice in game one.
