UPLAND, Ind. - It was all going swimmingly for the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Stallions in the NAIA baseball Opening Rounds. That is, until Indiana Tech came to bat in the top the 7th.
The Stallions had an 8-6 lead at the start of the frame. By the end of it, ABAC went through three pitchers, and the Warriors had switched that two-run deficit to a 16-8 advantage. ABAC, No. 2 in the bracket, ultimately fell 16-10.
ABAC faces Mount Mercy in an elimination game Tuesday at 11 a.m. Mount Mercy also had a tough Monday, dropping a 12-1 contest to Shawnee State in 7 innings.
The Stallions started with plenty of offense.
Dylan Davis hammered a three-run homer in the 1st inning and
Kam Taylor turned a 5-3 deficit into a 7-3 lead when he uncorked a grand slam in the 3rd.
Billy Girgis contributed a five-hit day and
Zack Bowman had four base-knocks.
Indiana Tech scored a single run in the 1st off starter
Reigh Jordan, but had a quick turnaround in the bottom half of the frame.
Bowman and
Chasin Cash had singles - Cash's was off the right field fence - right before Davis sent a Warriors' offering into outer space beyond left field.
A single run in the 2nd and back-to-back home runs in the 3rd put the Warriors back in front at 5-3. Again, the advantage was short.
Bowman began the 3rd with a hit and the bases quickly loaded on walks to Cash and Davis. Taylor stepped up and the baseball stepped out, going deep and far over the fence in right-center.
After another run by Tech in the 4th, ABAC struck again in the 5th. A bases-loaded groundout by
Quinten Rawls brought in
Cameron Campbell.
The tough 7th featured nine hits by the Warriors, including a grand slam.
Tre'von Lee struck out the side in the 9th.
Taylor drove in four runs for ABAC and Davis had three RBIs.
