Bush homers twice in game one win, Skyhawks split with Bryan
DAYTON, Tenn. (March 19, 2022) – The Point University baseball team traveled to face Appalachian Athletic Conference foe Bryan College Saturday afternoon and earned a huge 15-4 victory in game one before falling 16-7 in game two.
Game one- Point: 15, Bryan: 4
Point's scoring started early as a single to left field from Kevin Howard in the top of the first would score Connor Varnum and Dillon Brown to help Point take an early 2-0 lead. Two innings later, Point would double its lead following Francisco Garcia scoring on an infield groundout and an infield single from Alex Marquand bringing home Jackson Bush.
The Lions would even the score at four in the bottom of the fourth following an RBI single and a 3-run home run, but that was as close as Point would allow Bryan to get as the Skyhawks would post 10 runs in the top of the fifth to take a commanding lead.
Bush would begin Point's rally with a 2-run home run to left field. The Skyhawks would then score four runs on three errors before Garcia and Bush would connect for back-to-back home runs to help take a 14-4 lead. An inning later, Brown would connect for an RBI single to bring home Marquand and help Point take an 11 run lead.
Cole Brown earned his fourth win of the season and tossed his second complete game of the season, as he went 7.0 innings, giving up six hits, four runs (all earned), walking four and striking out five.
Point combined for 16 hits and was led by Marquand, who went 3-for-3 with an RBI, Bush, who went 3-for-4, with three RBIs and two home runs, Garcia, who went 3-for-4, with three RBIs and a home run, Kole Sonnier went 2-for-4, Brown was 3-for-5 with an RBI, Howard was 1-for-2 with two RBIs and Connor Varnum recorded two RBIs.
Game two- Point: 7, Bryan: 16
Point carried its momentum over to game two as the Skyhawks scored three runs in the top of the first. Garcia started Point's early scoring with a double to center field, scoring Marquand and Brown, and a sacrifice fly from Howard would score Bush.
The Lions would answer, earning their first lead of the day, with five runs in the bottom of the frame. A solo home run in the top of the second from Varnum, his first of the season, would bring Point within one, but the Lions would score five more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 10-4 lead. Bryan would score two runs in the third, extending its lead out by eight, before a passed ball, followed by an error in the top of the fourth would allow Varnum, Marquand and Brown to reach home for Point, bringing the Lions' lead back down to five.
Bryan would extend their lead back out by two in the bottom of the fourth, following a two-run home run from Keeko Garcia, and the Lions would score one run in the fifth and one run in the sixth.
Bryan limited Point to only four hits, with Garcia going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Howard and Varnum each accounting for a hit.
Up next
Point and Bryan will finish the series on Monday, March 21, at 4 p.m. at the LakePoint Sportsplex in Emerson, Ga.