Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HOOVER, Ala. – The Thomas University baseball team and the Asbury (Ky.) Eagles took a game apiece in the series doubleheader, as the Night Hawks dropped the first contest 6-3 before rebounding to defeat the Purple & White 11-7 in an epic, comeback win in nine innings Saturday at the Hoover Met Complex.
 
First Game (AU 6, TU 4)
Despite the score line, TU (5-2) was better at the plate than the Eagles (1-2), posting a .370 team batting average versus AU's .261.  Freshman Pitcher Anthony Menendez (0-1) got the nod to start, allowing just two earned runs in one hit and three strikeouts in two and one-third innings.
 
For the first time this season, it was the Night Hawks who struck first, as a hit to left field from Freshman Matthew Delay in the top of the first brought home a run for a 1-0 TU lead.  Asbury (Ky.) threatened to score in the inning's bottom half with the bases loaded, but TU's outfield made the stops necessary to get out of a serious jam.  In the bottom of the third, however, walks and wild pitches allowed the Eagles to get on base and advance, leading to Menendez's day being done in favor of Freshman Clay Oates.  AU would come away with two runs scored (2-1) for their first lead of the day.
 
The fourth inning saw more hiccups from TU's outfield, as Asbury's Jackson Cole capitalized on a 2RBI single before a sacrifice fly a few at-bats later extended the Purple & White's lead to 5-1.  The fifth inning provided more scoring for the Night Hawks, adding RBIs from Redshirt Senior Brad Toxen and Redshirt Junior Anthony Dorak to cut the Eagles' lead to two runs (5-3).  AU would respond in the fifth, however, as a leadoff triple from Kaiden Zacharias set up the RBI double from Parker Burge to give the Purple & White a 6-3 lead.
 
Thomas would attempt to come back late in the sixth and seventh innings, but with two runners left on base and a 1-2-3, respectively, Asbury (Ky.) was able to clinch its first win of its 2022 season.
 
Second Game (TU 11, AU 7 – 9 inn.)
Sophomore Pitcher Dylan Robertson (1-0) pitched in the seventh and eighth innings to only allow one earned run in two hits.
 
Game Three of the overall series proved to be another early, championship-defining test for Thomas, as the Green & White began the first five innings trailing 5-0.  Toxen gave the Night Hawks a batting boost in the sixth, leading off the inning with a single before Sophomore Luis Torres blasted a shot over the wall to give Thomas its first, two runs of the game (5-2).  Thomas kept the Eagles at bay in the bottom of the sixth before striking big in the seventh, posting four runs that were highlighted by RBIs in three, straight at-bats from Toxen, Torres, and Delay.
 
Robertson entered the contest, looking to seal the deal with a potential Save, as the Nokomis, Fla. native picked up two, quick outs in the first two at-bats faced.  AU's Kaden Dugle kept the lineup alive with a single before Josh Head followed up the hit with an RBI double to tie the game 6-6, forcing the contest into extra innings.
 
In the top of the ninth, Toxen set the tone for base running after getting walked and stealing second.  Three at-bats later, Thomas found themselves bases loaded with scoring imminent, setting up the Baby Hawks to deliver three, straight RBI hits.  Michael Sowers recorded an RBI before Khadin Bastian added to the score line with a 2RBI double, followed by Jean Pool Checo singling to right field to tally five runs and retake the lead (11-6) for Thomas.
 
Redshirt Junior Andy Allison was called upon to finish the comeback in the bottom of the ninth, but the Right-Hander found himself in trouble early on, walking three of the first four at-bats.  After striking out an Eagle with the bases loaded for two outs, Allison walked the following at-bat to give Asbury a slim chance at a comeback of their own, cutting to deficit to four (11-7).  The Maitland, Fla. native would escape the jam on the next at-bat, as a pop fly to infield clinched the win and the series for the Night Hawks.
 
TU by the Numbers
2:        Times TU made Asbury leave the bases loaded
7:        Combined RBIs from the Baby Hawks
14:      Combined runs on the day
15:      Combined strikeouts
24:      Combined hits on the day
 
The Night Hawks are back on the diamond Tuesday for a quick Tuesday twin bill against Trinity Baptist College.  First pitch in Jacksonville, Fla. is set for 3 p.m.
 
For up-to-date information on these games and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com.  Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU baseball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksBaseba.