Danville, Ky. – Hendrix beat Sewanee 8-7 to keep their postseason dreams alive in Friday’s elimination game.
Bryson Bales toed the rubber for the Warriors and was dominant through 5 scoreless innings before Sewanee touched him up for a four-spot in the 6th inning. The senior worked himself out of trouble in the 7th to throw 7.0 IP with 9 strikeouts while surrendering 6 runs on 8 hits in a winning effort. Dylan Kalmus entered in relief of Nathan Silva with two gone at the top of the 9th and induced a fly-out to end the game and earn his first save of the season.
The Hendrix bats got after the Tigers early as the Warriors plated 2 runs on 3 hits in the home half of the 1st inning after Shaun Pope laced a two-out single into right field to score Zach Marriott and Drake Job.
Charlie Deaton led off the 4th inning with a single to left field, and Joseph Watts walked to put two on the base path with no outs. despues de Adam Bland moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt, Marriott golfed a sacrifice fly out to right to bring in Deaton for the Warriors’ third run.
With the bases loaded and two gone in the 5th, Joseph Watts smoked a ball out to right field for a 2-RBI single to score Pope and Austin Rabago for a 5-0 lead.
The Tigers notched their four-spot in the top of the 6th to get back in the ball game, but Hendrix responded with a three-spot in the home half of the inning. despues de Owen Shaw induced a fielding error that allowed Marriott to score the sixth run, Pope and Hogan Ralston both sent RBI singles to center field for the seventh and eighth runs, respectively.
Sewanee would scratch across three more runs across the 7th and 8th innings, but the combined efforts of Braxton WallerSilva, and Kalmus out of the bullpen was enough to see the Tigers off for good and advance the Warriors to Saturday’s elimination game versus Rhodes.
Hendrix will face the Lynx for the second time in three days after getting run-ruled by their I-40 rivals 13-3 in an 8-inning affair on Thursday. Rhodes is coming off a 5-4 loss to the hosts Center on Friday afternoon. First pitch for Saturday’s elimination game is scheduled for 11:00 AM CT.
