BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – No. 8 Birmingham Southern and No. 14 Adrian College split a double header on Saturday at Striplin Field. Adrian posted an 8-1 win in the opener, scoring all eight runs in the final four innings. BSC (8-2) took the nightcap 8-3 with some late-inning insurance runs and stout relief pitching.
Will Lantis (Marietta, Ga./Pope HS) went 5-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI in the nightcap.
Andy Hammond (Oxford, Ala./Oxford HS) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning in the opener, but Adrian, playing its first game of the season, finally broke through in the sixth. BSC got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a sac fly by
Cole Steadman (Birmingham, Ala./Briarwood Christian) to make it 4-1. Hammond (2-1) was charged with four unearned runs in six innings and took the loss. He allowed six hits and fanned a season-high eight batters.
Adrian starter Pierce Banks (1-0) held BSC to one run on three hits in six innings for the win. He added two strikeouts.
BSC, who was the visiting team in game two, took its first lead of the day with a run in the top of the first inning. First baseman
Drew Love (Birmingham, Ala./Calhoun CC) delivered a sac fly to put the Panthers in front 1-0.
The lead was short-lived as Adrian scored two in the bottom of the frame. The Panthers took the lead for good with three runs in the top of the third inning. With runners and first and second, designated hitter
Wes Diamantis (Atlanta, Ga./St. Pius X HS) singled to right field, but a fielding error helped two runs scored and Diamantis ended up a third base. Lantis added an RBI single to push the lead to 4-2.
Lefty
Hanan Mauldin (Florence, Ala./Florence HS) came out of the bullpen in the fourth inning and hurled 4 1/3 scoreless innings. He allowed two hits, two walks and struck out three batters to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the year.
Meanwhile, the Panthers offense tacked on two more runs in the seventh and eighth innings to stretch the lead. BSC took advantage of 11 total walks and three hit batters in the win.
The teams will wrap up the three-game series at 1 p.m. (CT) on Sunday.
