Featured image: Garrett Graef’s reaction to the Scots dugout after hitting a three-run triple in the top of the first inning against previously undefeated Spalding. (Hayes Austin Photo)
BATESVILLE, Arkansas – The Lyon College Scots ended their first regular season in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) with a sweep of previously undefeated Spalding Golden Eagles on Saturday afternoon at Fred Wann Field.
The Scots (23-17, 15-3) beat Spalding (27-12, 16-2) in nail-biting fashion. After holding off the Golden Eagles 7-6 in the first game, Lyon came from behind to score seven times in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 9-8 win.
Garrett Graef tripled to right field at the bottom of the first inning to bring in Walker Smith, Braden Hendrix, and Logan Doody for a 3-0 lead. Ashton Compton singled up the middle, and Graef scored for a 4-0 lead.
After a two-hour rain delay, Spalding scored a run in the top of the fifth, but the Scots came back in the bottom of the fifth to add two runs on a Doody double to left-center that scored Gavin Caldwell and Jayden Cull for a 6-1 lead.
The Golden Eagles added another run in the sixth, but Smith doubled down the left field, and Compton scored for a 7-2 lead.
Spalding came back to score one run in the top of the seventh inning and added three in the top of the ninth, but the Scots held on.
Cameron Gordon pitched for the win going six runs and allowing two runs with three strikeouts. Patrick Babcock threw for two innings and allowed four runs with one strike out, then David Jennings came in to throw the top of the ninth inning and allowed only one and struck out one.
In the second game, Spalding led 5-0 until Cull doubled to left-center to score Hendrix for the Scots first run of the game in teh bottom of the fifth inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Cull grounded out to second base and Caldwell scored on the play to make it 5-2.
Spalding led 8-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. Smith led off with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a passed ball. Hendrix singled to right field and Cull hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Smith. Doody was hit by a pitch and with one out, Graef doubled down the left field line to score Hendrix.
Thomas Lingren was hit by a pitch to load up the bases. Kyle Carver followed with a three-run double to center field. Doody, Graef and Lingren scored on the play.
Caldwell reached first on an error by the Spalding short stop and Carver went to third base. Smith reached on a catcher’s interference call to load the bases. With two outs, Hendrix hit a walk-off double to right field to score Carver and Caldwell for a 9-8 come-from-behind victory to end the regular season.
The Scots have now won 12 of their last 13 games.
Image and information via Lyon College
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