White’s double wins game for Stallions

Published 11:00 am Monday, March 12, 2018

Isaiah Arnold rounds third as he scores ABAC’s winning run Saturday afternoon.

TIFTON — Three seventh inning doubles, the last from Matt White, gave Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College a thrilling 6-5 comeback win over Georgia Highlands College Saturday.

The Stallions scored six runs in their last two innings after trailing 4-0. The game was the first of a doubleheader, which frequently shorten from nine to seven innings in college.

ABAC’s rally started in the bottom of sixth with a leadoff single by Isaiah Arnold. Arnold was erased on a fielder’s choice but in an attempt to get a double play, the throw to first went wild, allowing Matthew Cuthrell to run to second. White was plunked by a Drew Wilson pitch and Austin Hittinger singled to right.

Cuthrell rounded third on Hittinger’s hit and was caught in a rundown, tagged before he made the plate. That was the second out of the inning, but fortunately meant the Stallions could send Joel Ellis to the plate. Ellis blasted a Wilson pitch over the left field wall, scoring three runs and cutting the score to 4-3.

The visiting Chargers needed some insurance and got it in the top of the seventh.

With Rudy Amaya on the mound, Blake Brady popped over the mound. Three Stallions converged on the ball, but none were able to make the catch. Brady went to third on Nick Piccapietra’s double and the bases loaded with no outs after a walk to Skylar McPhee.

Amaya struck out one man, but threw a wild pitch with Austin Foster at the plate, allowing Brady to run home. Amaya then buckled down, striking out Foster and getting a liner to shortstop to prevent further damage.

Down 6-4, ABAC head coach Brandon Reeder opted for three straight pinch hitters to open the bottom of the seventh. Georgia Highlands went to the bullpen, bringing in Noah Bryant for a save attempt.

Alex VanDerStok blooped a double to left and scored with one out when Tate Kight also hit a double to left. Arnold walked and the Chargers seemed to be on the verge of escaping when Bryant fanned the next man for the second out.

But White strode to the plate and became the third Stallion to hit a ball to left field. Kight scored easily and Arnold was soon on his heels after rounding third. Arnold, noticing his teammates’ reaction around home, started pumping his fist when he realized he was going to make it home without a throw.

Georgia Highlands got to ABAC starter Bryson Smeltzer early, resulting in a short stay on the mound. Smeltzer walked one batter and hit three more in one and one-third innings of work. The last man Smeltzer hit, Willis Kemp, happened when the bases were loaded, bringing in Piccapietra.

Reeder brought in Cole Garrett to relieve. Garrett stranded all three runners, then worked three more full innings.

Single runs crossed for the Chargers in the third and fourth frames. McPhee’s fielder’s choice scored Piccapietra in the former and Bryson Horne’s sacrifice fly drove in Kemp in the latter.

Ellis had two hits for the game and drove in three runs. White and Kight, who had the other RBIs, had one hit each.

Amaya earned the win.