Skyhawks finish off KCU for three-game sweep

WEST POINT, Ga. (March 26, 2022) – It was a dramatic series finale Saturday afternoon in West Point, as the Point University baseball team hosted Kentucky Christian University in game three of its Appalachian Athletic Conference series, and after trailing twice, the Skyhawks used a five-run eighth inning to win 13-8 and sweep the series.

With the win, Point moves to 16-13 (11-4 AAC) and is in a 3-way tie in the AAC for second place.

All nine starters in Point's batting lineup recorded a hit, with Francisco Garcia leading the way with four hits, setting a new career-high and becoming the first Skyhawk of the season to record four hits in a game. Kevin Howard and Jackson Bush recorded three hits, with Howard accounting for four RBIs and Bush for two. Alex Marquand and Connor Varnum each picked up two hits apiece. Dillon Brown, Jakobe Smith, Jhamante Woods and Kole Sonnier recorded a hit. Smith's lone hit came in the form of a home run.

Austin Tebo made another strong outing for the Skyhawks, going 4.1 innings, giving up six hits, six runs (five earned) and walking two. Adam Castillo earned the win, as he threw the seventh and eighth innings, giving up just two hits and striking out one. Casten Reed made another strong closing appearance, pitching the last inning and striking out one.

How it happened

Smith got Point on the scoreboard first, with his sixth home-run of the season in the bottom of the first (1-0). The Knights answered in the top of the third inning scoring four runs to take a 4-1 lead. In the bottom of the fourth, Point would storm back, starting with an RBI-triple from Howard that scored Garcia. Back-to-back RBI singles from Marquand and Brown would bring home two runs to even the score at four, and a sacrifice fly from Varnum would score Woods to help Point take a 5-4 lead.

KCU retook the lead the next inning, scoring three runs to go ahead 7-5, but another timely hit by Howard in the bottom of the frame scored Garcia and brought the Knights down to one (7-6). Kentucky Christian extended their lead once again with a run in the top of the sixth, but the Skyhawks would tie the ballgame 8-8 in the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back RBI-singles by Garcia and Bush. Castillo would keep the Knights off the scoreboard in the top of the seventh and eighth innings and the Skyhawks answered with a five-run rally in the bottom of the eighth to take the lead. Point's rally would begin with a bases-loaded RBI single from Bush to score Brown. Howard and Marquand would follow with back-to-back 2-RBI singles to push four runs across (13-8).

Reed would come on for Point in the top of the ninth and record the final three outs of the game with a strikeout, flyout and groundout.  

Up Next

Baseball will be back in action on Wednesday, as they travel to face nonconference foe Columbus State at 5 p.m.