Montgomery, Ala. - The Centenary baseball team swept a pair of non-conference games from the Huntingdon College Hawks by scores of 10-6 and 4-0 on Saturday afternoon at Neal Posey Field as the Gents will go for the series sweep on Sunday.
The Gents (6-1) won their fourth-straight game overall and third in a row over the Hawks after picking up a win over them last Sunday in the Belhaven University Tournament in Jackson, Miss. Huntingdon fell to 2-4 with the losses. The teams will meet again on Sunday in the series finale with first pitch scheduled for Noon. Live video will be available for the game at this link: https://www.youtube.com/c/HuntingdonAthletics.
Centenary has now scored 10 or more runs in a game in three of their last four ballgames after doing so twice last weekend, beating Edgewood, 15-5, and Huntingdon, 10-2. The Gents have put up staggering numbers on offense during their current four-game winning streak, scoring 39 runs on 51 hits as they have outscored the opposition 39-13. The 4-0 win in game two marked Centenary's first shutout of the season and first since blanking Eureka 12-0 on Feb. 22, 2019.
Game one recap:
The Gents fell behind 5-0 after four innings but came back with four in the top of the sixth to make it a one-run game. The Hawks added one in their half of the sixth to take a 6-4 lead into the seventh but then Centenary put up six runs over the next two innings, three in each the seventh and eighth, to secure the comeback win.
Senior first baseman Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) led the Gents' offense as he went 3-5 at the plate with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Senior right fielder Cody Crowder (Shepherd, Texas) went 2-4 with a pair of RBI, a home run and a double, three runs scored, and a walk. Senior second baseman Tyler Erickson (Houston, Texas) was 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored, and senior left fielder Luke Royle (Dodge City, Kan.) went 2-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
Centenary senior left-hander Connor Lee (Sugarland, Texas) started on the mound for the Gents and went 3.2 innings and allowed five runs, all earned, on nine hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Three Gents pitchers followed Lee as Joshua Gatewood (League City, Texas) pitched two innings and allowed one unearned run on one hit with two walks and a strikeout.
Senior Connor Cudd (Lake Charles, La.) picked up the victory to move to 1-0 on the season with outstanding relief work. He went three innings and allowed no runs on just four hits with no walks and 2 K's. Sophomore Parker Primeaux (Lake Charles, La.) came on for Cudd and walked a batter to load the bases but then induced a ground out for the final out of the game.
Carden Mellown started for the Hawks and went five innings and allowed three runs, all earned, on five hits. He walked four and did not record a strikeout. Tucker Duke relieved him and took the loss as he allowed seven runs, five earned, in three innings. He gave up seven hits and did not walk nor strikeout a batter.
The Gents collected 13 hits in the game and did so for the third-straight game and marked the fifth time in six games that they produced at least 12 hits in a game. Huntingdon was led by center fielder Colton Clark who went 3-5 with two runs scored. Three other Hawks players had two hits each and third baseman Jake Elrod had a pair of RBI and catcher Andrew Knight went 1-4 with three RBI and a run scored.
Game two recap:
The Gents picked up their first shutout win of the season in game two, winning 4-0. The win marked Centenary's first shutout since blanking Eureka 12-0 on Feb. 22, 2019.
The game was scoreless for the first five innings until the Gents broke through with three runs in the top of the sixth. Junior first baseman Ben Bridges (Beckville, Texas) belted a two-run homer to put the Gents ahead 2-0, scoring senior left fielder John Beaudion (Houston, Texas). Senior third baseman Chris Haggard (Lake Charles, La.) then singled home junior center fielder Gary Hewitt (Cedar Park, Texas) to make it a 3-0 game.
Freshman Cody Crider (Austin, Texas) had an RBI single in the ninth for the Gents' final run of the game. The Gents had nine hits in the second game, breaking a three-game streak of at least 13 hits in a game but finished the day with an impressive 14 runs on 22 hits.
Ludwick started on the mound for the Maroon and White and was masterful as he pitched a complete-game shutout. He allowed just four hits and one walk with 7 K's. Wallace Hendry took the loss for the Hawks as he gave up three runs, all earned, and five hits in six innings with four walks and 4 K's.
Erickson went 2-4 with a walk and a run scored, junior shortstop Brady Robinson (Jacksonville, Texas) was 2-5, and Bridges had the big hit in the sixth with his long ball, the first of the season for him, as he went 1-3 with two RBI, a run scored and two walks.
Centenary will go for the series sweep on Sunday with a game set for Noon. Live video will be available at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/c/HuntingdonAthletics
A link to the Gents' complete 2021 schedule can be found here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2020-21/schedule
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