JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In a contest where momentum shifted back-and-forth, the Thomas University baseball team scored a pair of runs in the ninth inning to take a 4-3 win over Edward Waters College Tuesday night at James P. Small Memorial Park.
The Night Hawks (8-8, 0-6 SUN) tallied 10 total hits at the plate, while going through six pitchers to defeat the Tigers (4-10). Freshman
Zachary Buelk (2-1) was awarded the win after entering the seventh inning to allow no earned runs with one hit and three strikeouts in one and one-third innings.
Thomas set the tone at the dish, as the Night Hawks delivered two, leadoff hits in the before EWC Pitcher Marcus Murray threw back-to-back strikeouts. The Green & White were set to cash in on runs after Redshirt Senior
Brad Toxen was hit by the pitch, but the Tigers got out of a jam on the next at-bat, as Redshirt Junior
Anthony Dorak's hit flew out to right field.
One inning later, the Night Hawks threatened to score with the bases loaded once more with one out, but once again Edward Waters avoided chaos, this time with a double play to keep the game scoreless. The Tigers' efforts ultimately paid off, scoring the contest's first run in the bottom of the fifth to go up 1-0.
It would not take long for Thomas would tie the score, as a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth from Sophomore
Kason Buie brought home Toxen to knot up the score 1-1. TU would take its first lead (2-1) in the seventh on a running score from Freshman
Matthew Delay Jr.
Just as the Night Hawks were building momentum, the pitching unit nearly collapsed in the bottom of the seventh. Between two pitchers, the Green & White coughed up the lead, allowing two more runs to score for Edward Waters that gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead. Buelk immediately entered the game, giving up a wild pitch to allow a runner to advance to third before closing out the inning fanning EWC's five-hole hitter.
In the top of the ninth, the Tigers switched up tactics on the mound, bringing out a left-handed pitcher in Eric Claudio Jr. (0-1) to throw off (no pun intended) the Night Hawks. Freshman
Nick Talpa became TU's leadoff hitter, pinch hitting for Sophomore
Luis Torres. The Brooksville, Fla. got on base via hit-by-pitch before Sophomore Dylan Robertson came in to pinch run. The Green & White followed up the at-bat with consecutive hits to load the bases a third time with Dorak on deck. Claudio Jr. could not escape the jam, walking the native of Clermont, Fla. that brought home the tying run Thomas needed (3-3). The Night Hawks would bring in the game-winning run on the next at-bat, thanks to a fly-out from Freshman
Michael Sowers.
Redshirt Senior Left-Hander
Dillon Rutland came in to close out the contest in the bottom of the ninth, but the Hahira, Ga. native gave up two, quick hits that saw the potential walkoff run on first. With runners on first and second, Edward Waters' Anthony Roman delivered a hit towards Redshirt Junior
Bradley Fleenor at first, making the putout throw over to Toxen at third base to negate EWC's efforts in advancing runners. Thomas would win the game on the next at-bat, as a grounder from Leonel Garcia set up a 4-6-3 double play that would clinch a 4-3 victory for the Night Hawks.
TU by the Numbers
3: Career Saves for
Dillon Rutland
4: Runs scored
6: Pitchers on the mound
8: Season wins
10: Team hits
13: Runners left on base
77: Overall total runs scored against EWC
Thomas is back in the Rose City for a three-game, non-conference series against Florida National. First pitch is set for Friday at 1 p.m.
For up-to-date information on this game 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.
