Battles, Black Team even series
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – After three high scoring games in the first three games of the Fall Series, the pitchers had their turn in the spotlight on a warm, sunny afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium that saw the Black Team even the series with a crisp 2-1 win.
Starters Blake Adams (Red) and Jaxon Wiggins (Black) were lights out over the first three innings, trading zeroes and allowing only two hits combined. The freshman Wiggins was impressive over the first three frames, striking out the first two batters of the game and allowing only three base runners through three innings. Meanwhile, Adams used his defense, getting a double play to erase a leadoff walk in the first and a caught stealing in the third to erase another walk to keep the game scoreless.
The Red Team broke through in the fourth, manufacturing a run to score the game’s first run. Matt Goodheart worked his second walk of the game to chase Wiggins and bring Miller Pleimann in from the pen. Pleimann immediately issued a walk to Brady Slavens before a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position with one out. Casey Opitz delivered with a ground ball to first to score Goodheart from third.
The Black squad wasted no time drawing even when Jalen Battles belted a two-out, solo homer into the Hog Pen to make it 1-1. Battles again came up clutch in the sixth when he singled up the middle to score Cayden Wallace from second and provide the winning run.
Elijah Trest finished off the win to earn the save but not without excitement in the seventh. Left fielder Bryce Matthews robbed Goodheart of a game-tying homer for the first out of the inning and Ethan Bates’ diving catch in shallow right field ended the game.
The two pitching staffs combined to allow just six hits in the game while striking out 14. Nate Wohlgemuth earned the win for Black with a scoreless inning that included a pair of punch outs. Evan Gray took the loss for Red, allowing the run in the sixth. Adams was solid over four innings, giving up one run on three hits with three strikeouts. Wiggins allowed one run on one hit with four strikeouts.
Battles led the Black Team with two of the team’s four hits and drove in both runs. Braydon Webb’s two singles were the only hits for the Red Team.
Game 5 of the Fall Series has been moved to tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. at Baum-Walker Stadium. The game will still be available on SEC Network+.
