THOMASVILLE, Ga. — The Night Hawks split the day against No. 24 Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College at Varnedoe Stadium, upsetting the Stallions 6-2 in the first game before falling 4-1 in the second.
Game 1: Thomas 6, ABAC 2
The Night Hawks soared to victory in the opener, clinching a 6-2 win over the Stallions (21-9, 6-4).
Elias Garcia ignited the rally with a pivotal double in the first inning, setting the stage for a five-run outburst that defined the game. The contest kicked off with fireworks from both sides, as Dylan Davis launched a two-run homer to left-center, giving Abraham Baldwin an early 2-0 advantage. However, the Night Hawks quickly countered, taking advantage of an error and a pair of singles.
Max Pickert delivered a clutch two-RBI single, and a wild pitch allowed
Aidan Reyes to cross home plate.
Jackson Thomas then capped the rally with a two-RBI single, putting the Night Hawks ahead 5-2 by the end of the first.
In the second inning, the Night Hawks added another run.
Brayden Lawhon singled through the left side, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on
Aidan Reyes's RBI double, stretching the lead to 6-2 after two innings. The remainder of the game featured dominant pitching from
Ian Vickers, who turned in a stellar seven-inning performance, after allowing two runs Vickers retired 19 consecutive batters in a row, including seven strikeouts.The Night Hawks' defense held firm, preventing any further scoring from Abraham Baldwin and clinching the victory.
Ian Vickers was the backbone of the Night Hawks' defense, pitching a complete game over seven innings. He allowed just two earned runs on two hits, fanned seven batters, and maintained a WHIP of 0.57. Vickers fired 102 pitches, with 66 finding the strike zone, keeping Abraham Baldwin scoreless after the first inning. The Folkston, Ga. native currently leads the conference in strikeouts and is tied for fifth in the NAIA in strikeouts on the year.
Brayden Lawhon led the charge with two hits and two runs scored.
Aidan Reyes contributed a double, driving in a run and scoring once himself.
Max Pickert added in a two RBI single.
Game 2: Thomas 1, ABAC 4
The Night Hawks (13-13, 6-5 SSAC) faced a tough outing in the second game, falling 4-1 to the Stallions (22-9, 7-4 SSAC), despite
Elias Garcia's solid showing at the plate. The Night Hawks racked up seven hits but couldn't convert them into runs. Abraham Baldwin clinched the victory with a pair of home runs.
In the third inning,
Tyler Marczak crossed the plate on a groundout by
Brayden Lawhon, tying the game at 1-1, though the run was unearned due to a throwing error by the Stallions. By the end of the third, the score tipped 2-1 in favor of Abraham Baldwin. They widened the gap in the fourth with a two-run homer from Talan Watson, pushing the score to 4-1, which held steady through the rest of the game.
Despite some chances to close the gap, including singles from
Max Pickert and
Gabe Tafelski in the ninth inning, the Night Hawks couldn't add to their run tally.
Zach Buelk got the start, pitching 1.1 innings and allowing one earned run on one hit, with two strikeouts and two walks.
Dustin Letchworth took over, pitching 4.2 innings, striking out four.
Christian Maige wrapped up the game with three scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out one.
Seth Waltimyer notched a double, contributing one hit with a .750 OPS. Pickert added two hits, maintaining a 1.000 OPS. Marczak reached base twice, scored a run, and walked once, achieving a 1.167 OPS.
The Night Hawks are set to play No. 24 Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College again at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 21, at Varnedoe Stadium in Thomasville, Georgia for the rubber match to determine the series.
