PENSACOLA, Fla. – UWF baseball (20-9, 10-3 GSC) swept a doubleheader vs. Alabama Huntsville (14-12, 8-6 GSC) Saturday at Jim Spooner Field. The Argos used a five-run eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie and win Game 1 7-2. UWF won a close battle the whole way 3-2 in Game 2.
"Give Alabama Huntsville a lot of credit," said UWF head coach Mike Jeffcoat. "They threw the ball great. Both their starters did a really nice job."
Mason Dinesen proved vital to the Argos' success. With Nic Strasser out with an injury, Dinesen filled in admirably at second base. He finished the day with three hits, including his first home run at UWF, a three-run blast in the eighth inning of Game 1 that helped cement the win.
"Defense and pitching won the day," said Jeffcoat. "Hits were at a premium… It's great to sweep at home. We'll take them anyway we can get them."
UWF has now won 15 of its last 16 games. The teams will close the series tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
Game 1: Argos 7, Chargers 2
Dylan Mills-Derouen got the start for the Argos in Game 1 and went seven innings while scattering seven hits and allowing just two runs (two earned). He struck out seven and threw 104 pitches, keeping UWF in the game and ultimately taking the no-decision.
"Mills did a great job," said Jeffcoat. "He threw a great game… Josh Pahlad came in there and did what he's been doing: filling the zone up and getting ground ball outs."
The southpaw allowed a second inning RBI single to Jay Copeland that put the Argos behind 1-0 but worked out of a bases loaded jam to limit the damage. The Argos quickly bounced back to tie the game. Nick Kerkmann began the fourth with a double to the left field corner and would score later in the frame on a sacrifice fly by Matt Sullivan.
AJ Walden tagged Mills-Derouen for a solo homer in the fifth to regain the single-tally advantage for the Chargers. The Argo lefty settled down from there, retiring eight straight before exiting after seven frames.
An RBI walk by Matthew Estrada tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth. The Argos left the bases loaded in both the sixth and seventh. After Josh Pahlad induced a key double play to work around a leadoff walk in the eighth, the Argos exploded for five runs vs. the UAH bullpen. The five-run frame was highlighted by Dinesen's blast.
"Mason did a nice job for us. He had quality at-bats there in the first game, made all the plays he's supposed to make at second base, turned a big double play for us [in the second game]," said Jeffcoat. "I think our guys were tip-toeing a little bit with Strasser not in the lineup, leading off the game like he's been doing all year for us. It's been an adjustment."
Pahlad (3-0) picked up the win. UAH starter Jake Bracewell dueled with Mills-Derouen all day, allowing four hits and two runs while lasting into the seventh. Like Mills-Derouen, he took the no-decision. Dustin Sharp, who walked Robert Lopez to begin the eighth inning, suffered the loss. He dropped to 0-1. Brooks Brophy allowed four runs after Sharp exited the game.
Each team finished with seven hits. UAH, which entered play with the top fielding percentage in the GSC, committed four errors, including two in the crucial eighth frame.
Game 2: Argos 3, Chargers 2
Tony Kucera got the start for UWF in Game 2 and pitched very effectively for six innings. He allowed just two runs (two earned) on six hits. He struck out two and walked two in moving to 4-1 on the 2018 season.
"Kucera did a nice job. He battled and worked out of some jams," said Jeffcoat. "And then it was a huge situation save for Alex Knight."
Matt Jones led the Argo offense off with a double in the first vs. UAH starter Hunter Hood. He would score later in the frame on a double play to make it 1-0 Argos.
The Chargers evened the score at 1-1 in the third on an RBI single by Tanner Burns before briefly assuming the lead in the fourth when Jay Copeland smacked one of his three doubles to score Nolan Ramsey and make it 2-1.
The Argos stole the lead back in the bottom of the fourth. Matthew Estrada and Trevor Payne reached to start the inning. Estrada scored on an infield single by Brandon Harmon, and Payne came home in the same sequence on a throwaway by the second baseman Copeland. The critical error was one of three in the game for the Charger defense.
The Argo defense prevented the Chargers from tying the game in the sixth, with a relay by Matt Sullivan, Mason Dinesen and Payne catching Ramsey at the plate trying to score on another double by Copeland.
Alex Knight picked up his second save of the season by working around a leadoff single and stranding pinch runner Zach Duvall on third to end the game.
The teams close the series tomorrow with a single game beginning at 1:00 p.m. LHP Kirk Maddox (2-3, 3.68 ERA) is expected to start for the Argos.
"We've got to come out and play hard. They're not going to give in," said Jeffcoat. "The wind's blowing in, making it a small ball game. We've got to have a little more competitive at-bats, force them to make plays instead of the weak fly ball outs. Tomorrow's a new day. We want to try to finish this thing up the right way."
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