Tough to swallow as UHSP loses a pair on walk-offs

LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Eutectics made a return trip to the Natural State after playing their American Midwest Conference openers over the weekend and dropped a pair to Arkansas Baptist as the Buffaloes rallied in each to win in walk-off fashion, 8-7 and 11-10 in 8-innings.

In the opening game, a two-run third by the Eutectics tied things up after the Buffaloes scored two in the bottom of the second. ABC added a go-ahead run in the third and three more in the fourth to lead 6-2 before the Eutectics tallied twice in the sixth and three times in the seventh to take a 7-6 lead. Up to that point, UHSP had used five different pitchers with Barrett Lohman, Cris Resendez, Sabastian Encarnacion and Brayden Steves all seeing the mound in that order and all tossing just one inning. Maguire Wakelyn came on in the fifth and went a pair of scoreless innings and was in line for the win after the two-run top of the seventh. Holden Campbell though could not hold the lead and close it out as Arkansas Baptist got two hits off Campbell and scored twice to rally to win in their last at bat. Robert Uhlmeyer paced a nine hit attack for the Eutectics going 3-for-4 with a double, triple, run scored and three runs batted in. Logan Stribling was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI in the loss. The opening game would just play as a foreshadowing of what to come in game two.

The Eutectics jumped ahead early with a four-run first to stake game two starter Nolan Harding to an early cushion. The Buffaloes got one back in the home half of the first, but UHSP added two in the third to lead 6-1. Harding would go three innings allowing four runs on four hits as ABC scored three in the bottom of the third to make it a two-run game. After a Eutectic run in the fourth, Arkansas Baptist put three more on the board in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at 7-7. Pierce Love came on to follow Harding and was touched for those three runs and the three more that ABC got in the seventh after the Purple and Gold scored three in the top of the seventh. Love left with one out in the seventh allowing six runs on five hits, walking five and fanning one. Malcolm Merriweather got the final two outs of the inning to send it to extras tied 10-10. The Buffaloes would win their second game of the day in walk-off fashion scoring the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Jovonnie Bautista and Logan Stribling each went 3-for-4 in the second game while Ruben Ogando, Caden Buxton, Barrett Bressette and Robert Uhlmeyer each had a pair of hits. UHSP dropped the nightcap despite out-hitting the Buffaloes 17-12 and having just two errors to ABC's four.

There is one more game for UHSP (6-10) in Arkansas on the trip as they play at the Philander Smith Panthers (1-14) on Wednesday afternoon in a single 9-inning affair at 12:00p.