MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. – The Milligan College Baseball Team (15-9) rallied from a 5-0 deficit to defeat visiting Emory & Henry College (8-13) by a 13-7 score Wednesday evening at the MC Baseball Field. The Buffaloes pounded out 14 hits in the contest, scoring all of their runs between the fifth and eighth innings.
E&H got out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. With two runners on and one out, senior catcher Connor Wise (Cookeville, Tenn.) reached on a dropped fly ball by the right fielder, plating junior shortstop Jordan Woullard (Oak Ridge, Tenn.). The Wasps added their other run in the frame when junior first baseman Bransen Christopher (Hickory, N.C.) came home on a failed pickoff attempt.
In the top of the second, Emory & Henry made it 3-0 as senior second baseman Caleb Rotton (Boiling Springs, S.C.) drove in freshman left fielder Jonathan Head (Abingdon, Va.) on a groundout.
The Wasps pushed their advantage to 5-0 after the fourth. Freshman Matthew Whisnant (Connolly Springs, N.C.) had a RBI base hit while Rotton plated a runner with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Milligan erased the deficit with five runs in the bottom of the fifth. A three-run triple to right field by Luke Kirk highlighted the frame for the Buffs. In the bottom of the sixth, MC added four more runs for a 9-5 advantage. Corey McPherson had a RBI triple to get things started as the Buffaloes had five hits and took advantage of two Wasp errors.
Emory & Henry made it 9-7 with two runs in the top of the seventh. Sophomore right fielder Ben Barnett (Knoxville, Tenn.) had a RBI single up the middle while Whisnant plated a run with a groundout.
In the bottom of the seventh, MC added a run and made the final score 13-7 with three more runs in the eighth. Cody Hyder had a two-run single to centerfield to highlight the late innings of the game.
McPherson was four-for-five with two RBI and two runs scored while Kirk drove in four runs with three hits and two runs. Hyder and Carpenter each had a pair of hits. Hunter McDaniel picked up the win in relief, allowing just one hit in two innings pitched.
E&H was led at the plate by Barnett as he went three-for-four with a RBI. Christopher, Wise, and Whisnant each had two hits while Rotton drove in a pair. Senior Zack Hill (Fries, Va.) took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits in relief.
Emory & Henry will get back to Old Dominion Athletic Conference play on Saturday when it travels to Washington and Lee University for a noon doubleheader.
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