NEW ORLEANS – Huston-Tillotson University's baseball split an HBCU Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday to open their three-game series at Southern–New Orleans.
SUNO won the opener 2-0 before the Rams salvaged a split of the day's proceedings with a 4-2 win in the late contest.
HT pitcher Ethan Walker, the conference's leader in wins, was denied his sixth win in the opener despite a solid outing in which he struck out four batters and did not issue any walks while allowing two earned runs. The HT bats were unable to muster much offense against SUNO's Christopher Nunez, who pitched a complete-game, seven-inning shutout.
Noah Alvarez and Josh Wilk had the Rams' two hits in game one Saturday.
HT's bats woke up in the second inning of game two as Trey Garza hit a two-run, bases-loaded single that scored Kadarien Harris and Tucker Allen, and moved Judaya Coulson to third base. Coulson then came home on Payton Johnson's sacrifice fly, giving the Rams a 3-0 lead.
Leading 3-1 in the top of the sixth, Johnson added to the Rams' lead with a solo homerun with one out in the inning.
On the mound, Weston Bailey struck out seven SUNO hitters while scattering seven hits and giving up only two earned runs. A transfer from Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), Bailey won his fourth consecutive decision. Evan Mendoza pitched a hitless seventh inning to earn his conference-leading fifth save of the year.
The Rams conclude their series at SUNO on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.Â
– HT –
