AU baseball swept by Lander in high-scoring three-game series
By Rodrigo Burgos-Avila | Sports writer
The Augusta University Jaguars struggled to contain the Lander Bearcats over the weekend, dropping all three games in their Peach Belt Conference baseball series.
After a heartbreaking 10-8 extra-innings loss on Friday and an 18-14 battle on Saturday, Augusta fell 9-4 in Sunday’s series finale.
The Jaguars started strong in the March 7 series opener, leading 8-3 heading into the eighth inning behind home runs from Parker Ingram and Mike Morrison. However, Lander stormed back with a five-run eighth inning to tie the game before pushing across two more runs in the 10th to secure the two-run victory.
Saturday’s game turned out to be an offensive showcase, with both teams exchanging big innings. Augusta overcame an early 5-1 deficit and surged ahead 13-9 in the sixth inning, thanks to a grand slam from Nolan Turner to right field.
However, Lander responded with its own grand slam, by Connor Droze in the seventh, also to right and aided by a strong wind, and took control late, securing an 18-14 win.
A controversial clock violation in the ninth resulted in an automatic strike, and the third out for the Bearcats, but Augusta was unable to capitalize, going down in order to close the game.
Droze had homered earlier in the game and finished with six RBI.
The two teams combined for 28 hits in the highly entertaining Peach Belt Conference contest. In all, AU used eight pitchers and Lander five in a game that took four hours and four minutes to play on a 79-degree late-winter afternoon and evening.
In the series finale on Sunday, March 9, Augusta battled early, cutting a two-run deficit in half after a solo homer from Roland Chance.
The Jaguars tied the game in the fourth inning, when Ingram led off with a single and Zach Kwiatkowski drove him home with a double down the left-field line.
However, Lander’s offense exploded for seven unanswered runs, putting the game out of reach. Augusta managed two late runs on a ninth-inning double by Morrison but ultimately fell 9-4.
Jagger Iovenelli was the starter for the Jaguars He struck out five in five innings and took the loss.
After the game, Augusta Coach Chris Howell acknowledged the team’s struggles.
“We got exposed in the little things” Howell said.
The Jaguars had seven errors in the three-game set.
With the series sweep, Augusta dropped to 2-7 in conference play and 5-19 overall.
The Jaguars will look to bounce back as they travel to Orangeburg, S.C., for a conference series against Claflin University on March 14 and 15.
Lander improved to 5-1 in the PBC and 16-6 overall.
Contact Rodrigo Burgos-Avila at rburgosavila@augusta.edu.
