HUNTSVILLE | The No. 4 University of Alabama in Huntsville baseball team split Saturday's doubleheader against Gulf South Conference opponent Delta State at Charger Park, winning the opener in walk-off fashion, 4-3, and falling in the night cap, 3-2. UAH is now 17-3-1 (11-3-1 GSC), while DSU stands at 6-9 (5-5 GSC).
Huntsville native
Daniel Koger took the hill to start the doubleheader for UAH, and the left-hander turned in 7.1 innings with three earned runs allowed and tied his season-high with 10 strikeouts. Koger finished with a no-decision in the contest.
The Chargers took an early 2-0 lead in the first, as
Brandon Lawing ripped an RBI single through the left side followed by a successful stolen base at home by
Chandler Brock. Brock would go on to total a season-high four steals in game one.
DSU bounced back to tie the contest in the third, before UAH regained a 3-2 lead on a sacrifice fly by Brock to drive in
Tanner Cimo from third. The Statesmen added a late run in the eighth to knot the game at 3-3.
Senior
Luke Mould relieved Koger after the third Delta State run, and tossed 2.2 shutout innings with two hits allowed and one strikeout. Mould was able to improve to 3-0 on the year, after another sacrifice fly by Brock in the bottom of the tenth to give UAH a walk-off, series-opening victory.
Game two featured another pitcher's duel, with Jonathon Moody starting for the Statesmen and
Mitchell Wright going to the bump for the Chargers. Wright had not given up a run in 20.0 innings before entering the game.
UAH went on the board first as
Trey Mathis singled through the right side to bring home
Ben Hall. Delta State pushed across its first run of the game in the third to tie it, before adding two runs in the top of the fifth to overtake the Chargers with a 3-1 lead.
Senior
Ryan Barnes brought UAH within one with a solo home run – his second of the season – in the bottom of the sixth, but DSU starting pitcher Moody was too much to overcome in the end as the Statesmen took the nightcap with a 3-2 final. Moody twirled 7.0 innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts, four hits allowed and two earned runs.
Wright tossed 4.0 innings with one run allowed and six strikeouts, earning a no-decision.
Chris Kilpatrick was handed the loss to bring his record to 1-1 on the year, after allowing two runs in 3.0 innings of work with four strikeouts.
UAH and DSU have agreed to move up Sunday's game time to noon from 1 p.m. due to inclement weather in the evening forecast.
