JACKSON, Tennessee- The Union University baseball team fell to Harding University 16-14 after leading by two runs in the ninth. The Bulldogs fall to 14-10 on the season.
Harding opened the game up with their leadoff hitter, Zac Stewart, belting a homerun out to deep left center field. The Bisons added two more runs in the inning to take the early 3-0 lead.
The Bulldogs cut the lead to one in the bottom of the second scoring two following a single to lead off the inning from
Zach Wylie and a RBI triple from
Hayden Lewis. However, Harding stretched their lead in the next frame scoring five runs on five hits to lead 8-2.
Union fought back in the bottom half of the third with a parade of hits including six singles, a double from
Tyler Mauzy and a three run homer from
Zach Wylie that gave Union their first lead of the afternoon, 10-8, after three innings of play.
Harding slowly worked their way back into the lead over the next four innings scoring a single run in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings that put them ahead 12-11. Union was able to take the lead again in the bottom of the seventh scoring two runs on a back to back sacrifice flies from
Ryne Roper and
Dylan Moore that scored
Zach Phillips and
Tyler Mauzy who had reached on singles to lead off the inning. The Bulldogs then added another run in the eighth on an RBI triple from Lewis that scored
Mason Castile that gave them the 14-12 lead with only three outs to go for the win.
Harding had other plans rallying in the top of the ninth inning exploding for four runs on five hits that put them ahead 16-14. Union could not come up with a rally of their own in the bottom half of the ninth and went down in order for their tenth loss of the season.
Hayden Lewis led Union at the plate going 3-for-4 with two triples, three runs and three RBI on the day.
Tyler Mauzy also continued his hot hitting going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a double.
Nolen Milton started the game on the mound for Union tossing 4.0 innings giving up nine runs on ten hits.
Nate Moenning came into the game in relief going 2.1 innings before being relieved by
Andrew Wilson who threw the final 2.2 innings.
Union gets back into Gulf South Conference play this weekend traveling to West Alabama to take on the Tigers on Friday and Saturday with gems starting at 1:00 p.m. on both days.
-UNION-