Skyhawks spoil Union's senior day with doubleheader sweep
BARBOURVILLE, Ky. (April 23, 2022) — The Point University baseball team completed its series at Union Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep, winning game one 22-0 in seven innings and 7-5 in game two.
Game one- Point 22, Union 0
Point's game one victory was the largest margin of victory in program history, as the Skyhawks scored 22 runs off 19 hits. All nine batters in the starting lineup recorded a hit and an RBI, starting with a solo home run from Alex Marquand in the top of the first.
Point's offense would add one run in the second, following a wild pitch that allowed Jaysen Dower to score, and the Skyhawks would follow with six runs in the third, four in the fourth, three in the fifth, and seven in the sixth. Point's six runs in the third came from RBI doubles from Kevin Howard, Jakobe Smith, Dower, and Sonnier. Smith and Sonnier scored two runs apiece in the third.
Point took its double-digit lead in the fourth, following a wild pitch that allowed Marquand and Bush to score. Francisco Garcia followed with an RBI triple, and Dower rounded the scoring out with a sacrifice fly to score Garcia (12-0).
In the fifth, Jackson Bush doubled to left field to score Dillon Brown, Zebediah Baird scored on a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly from Howard would score Bush to extend Point's lead by 15.
Point strung together a 7-run sixth inning with Varnum starting the scoring off with an RBI single to score Jackson Breal. Baird followed with an RBI single to score Jeff Rice, and Bush followed with a sacrifice fly to score Brown. Trent Sheppard pinch-hit and singled to center field to score Varnum. Garcia followed with a bases-loaded walk to score Baird, and in Breal's second at-bat of the inning, he reached on a fielder's choice that scored Sheppard. Brown rounded out Point's scoring with an RBI single to score Smith.
Marquand went 3-for-3 with an RBI at the plate, and Dower went 2-for-2 with two RBIs to lead Point's offense. Smith followed, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, Howard was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Garcia was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Brown was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Varnum, Baird, and Sheppard each had a hit and an RBI, and Bush and Sonnier recorded a hit and two RBIs, respectively.
Chase Raines earned his sixth win of the season, his second shutout, and third complete game, as he went seven innings, giving up five hits, one walk, and striking out seven.
"Today was a solid day," Raines said. "I felt good on the mound, and my offense showed out for me; we had all the momentum to take the sweep after all that."
Game two- Point 7, Union 5
The Bulldogs got on the board first in the second half of the doubleheader, but Point would take the lead in the third, following an RBI single from Smith and a sacrifice fly from Bush. The Skyhawks would extend their lead in the fourth with Brown scoring off a wild pitch, and in the fifth, Garcia would give the Skyhawks a 5-1 lead with a 2-run home run.
In the bottom of the fifth, Union made things interesting with back-to-back 2-run home runs to tie the score at five, but Brown would drive in Baird and Garcia in the seventh to help Point retake the lead.
Casten Reed would come in to secure the victory in the bottom of the seventh, as he limited the Bulldogs to just one hit.
Garcia and Sonnier led Point's offense with two hits apiece; Garcia added two RBIs to his stat line. Dower, Smith and Brown each recorded a hit. Brown had two RBIs; Smith had one and Bush recorded one. Brown reached base every at-bat, as he was walked three times. Bush and Baird each walked twice and Baird and Garcia each scored twice. Point's offense scored seven runs off seven hits and reached base on nine walks.
Gene Abourette got the start, going four innings, giving up one hit, one run (earned), three walks and struck out three. Jackson Knox earned the win as he came in for relief in the fifth, going an inning and two-thirds, giving up no hits or runs and striking out three. Reed earned his seventh of the season and is tied in first in the AAC in saves.
The Skyhawks are now in a 3-way tie for second place with the weekend sweep, as Point is now 24-18 (19-8 AAC).
The Skyhawks have one final AAC series before the conference tournament. Point will travel to CIU April 28-29. Game one will be played on the 28th at 6 p.m., and the doubleheader will take place on the 29th starting at 12 p.m.