JACKSON, Tenn. – Two days after posting enough hits and runs to last a series, the ABAC Stallions' bats were cooled off by Loyola pitcher Thomas Hakimian.
The Stallions got into a 5-0 early and couldn't catch up in a 5-2 loss to the Wolfpack in the final day of pool play in the Southern States Athletic Conference baseball tournament. Though it was the Stallions' first loss in the tournament, the 23 runs allowed to Mobile in Thursday's memorable 24-23 win cost them a chance at the championship game if there is a three-way tie between ABAC, Loyola, and Thomas University. By allowing only two runs against ABAC, Loyola wins any tiebreaker situation and will play for the SSAC title Sunday against the winner of William Carey and Middle Georgia game being played later Saturday.
The Stallions will now await their fate when the NAIA tournament field is announced Wednesday.
Saturday was a pitcher's duel between ABAC's
Kade Haywood and Loyola's Hakimian. A few days after being named to the first-team All-SSAC team, Haywood went the distance Saturday and allowed only six hits through eight innings. But a two-run home run in the second by Loyola's Drew Lee gave the Wolf Pack a 2-0 lead. In the third, Jaxon Buratt was hit by a pitch and moved to third on Brandon Mooney's double. With one out, Garrett Felix reached on an error, which allowed Buratt and Mooney to score for a 4-0 lead.
In the fifth, Loyola added one more after ABAC started the inning getting two quick outs. Ben Harris reached base on an error and stole second before scoring on Buratt's RBI single.
ABAC's offense finally got on the board in the seventh when
Harrison Childers singled with one out and catcher
Parker Wallace followed with a double. Quentin Rawls then cleared the bases with a double down the left field line to cut the lead to 5-2.
Dylan Davis followed with a double to move Rawls to third. But with still only one out, Hakimian got a strikeout and a groundout to get out of the jam.
The Stallions had a final threat in the ninth. Rawls was hit by a pitch and Davis walked. Both moved up a base on a wild pitch. But Wolf Pack reliever Frank Fernandez got a strikeout and an infield fly ball to end the game and record his fourth save of the year.
Several Stallions had an outstanding tournament at the plate. Wallace was 7-for-12 and was responsible for
Cooper Scruggs, who substituted as a courtesy runner each time Wallace got on base, for leading ABAC with eight runs scored. Childers finished the three games going 7-of-14 with five runs scored. Rawls was 5-for12 and led the Stallions with six RBIs.
