MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Southwestern wrapped up play at the Firehouse Classic with a pair of games Saturday. The Pirates dropped an 8-4 contest to LaGrange to start the day, but rebounded to defeat Rhodes, 7-3, in the final game.
In the first tilt of the day, Southwestern (2-1) took a 1-0 lead into the fourth inning. However, LaGrange (5-0) answered with one in the fourth and three in the fifth to take a 4-1 advantage.
The Bucs picked up two in the sixth, but LaGrange against answered in the eighth with four runs to take control.
Southwestern tallied 12 hits in the loss. Cameron Cooper, Byron Dowdell II and Colby Schmidt all posted two hits apiece, while Dowdell, Schmidt and Daniel Montgomery Jr. all drove in a run.
Stephen Greenlees (0-1) took the loss, as the lefty gave up four runs on four hits over four innings of work.
In the nightcap, Rhodes broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with a run.
Schmidt tallied a two-run double and Cole Kelly drove in a run to allow Southwestern to take a 3-1 lead in the following frame.
The Pirates extended their advantage to 5-2 in the sixth, as Cooper and Schimdt both drove in runs.
Southwestern scored two more in the seventh on Dowdell's RBI single and Hallmark's run-scoring hit.
Jeremy Rice (1-0) picked up the victory on the mound, as the right-hander worked five innings and allowed only one earned run. Hayden Holley (1) picked up the save, tossing 3.1 scoreless panels with a trio of strikeouts.
The Pirates will return home to host Huntingdon in a three-game set next weekend. The series opens with a single game at 6 p.m. Friday, and will conclude the following day with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Rockwall Field.
WEEKEND NOTES
• Colby Schmidt hit .615 (8 for 13) with three doubles and 7 RBIs. He also slugged .846 and reached base at a .643 clip.
• Jeremy Rice won his first game since March 15, 2015. The righty missed all of last season due to injury. He returned to the mound and logged innings for the first time since May 2, 2015.
• Ben Little scored a team-leading five runs and hit .467 (7 for 15) with a triple and a homer in the three games.
• Colton Hunter earned a win in his collegiate debut on Friday night. The right-hander came on in relief and pitched one inning and earned the victory after Southwestern scored five runs in the final frame.
• Southwestern batted .360 (40 for 111) with seven doubles, two triples, a homer and 22 RBIs over the weekend.
• The pitching staff logged 21 strikeouts in the three games.
• After committing five errors in the season opener, Southwestern only had two misplays in the final two contests.
– SOUTHWESTERN –