GEORGETOWN, Texas -- Game 2 of the Southwestern University Pirates' doubleheader moved swiftly through the first seven innings until everything came crashing to a halt in the eighth; finding an unlikely hero on the mound in Daniel Montgomery Jr. for a 5-4 Southwestern victory over the Austin College Kangaroos.
The game moved with pace early with both teams mixing in a combination of low pitch count strikeouts, diving catches in the outfield, and easy groundouts. In a classic pitchers' duel, Benjamin Ludwig and counterpart Cody Johnson tore through the first few innings with each pitcher retiring the first nine batters they faced.
Southwestern managed to slow the game enough in the bottom of the fourth to score three runs, getting a leadoff single from Ted Lobkowicz and a RBI-double from Montgomery. Byron Dowdell II followed with a two-run blast, his second home run of the day after going yard in Game 1, to give the PIrates a 3-0 lead.
Ludwig continued to attack with poise and pace, blowing pitches by gigantic swings on his way to 11 strikeouts in 7.1 innings of action.
The Pirates' pitching fell apart in the eighth, beginning with back-to-back singles. After a groundout, Ludwig walked one to load the bases, ending his night to being in Machi Horne. The Pirates' closer walked two runs in, giving way to a bold move, moving Montgomery from third to the mound.
After hitting the first batter to score another run, tying the game for Austin College, Montgomery delivered a huge strikeout to get out of the inning with three Kangaroos stranded.
Lobkowicz started the bottom of the eighth witn a single and Montgomery was hit by a pitch and Dowdell drew a one-out walk to load the bases for Southwestern, setting up a sacrifice fly by Colby Schmidt to centerfield to retake the lead for the Pirates.
Montgomery opened the top of the ninth by fielding a groundout on the mound. After giving up a single through the left side, Montgomery induced a flyout to centerfield and Schmidt threw out Fogle trying to steal second to end the game.
Montgomery was 1-for-3 with a RBI and run scored at the plate, pitching 1.1 innings with a strikeout, hit batter, and one hit surrendered for his first win on the mound in a rare appearance for the starting third baseman.
Lobkowicz was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Dowdell was 1-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI off his homerun. With the win, the Pirates improve to 12-6 on the season and 3-2 in conference. Southwestern and Austin College will closeout the series at noon tomorrow.