DAYTON, Tenn. - The Talladega College baseball team split a non-conference doubleheader this afternoon at Bryan College. The Tornadoes took game one 21-5 and fell 7-6 in extra innings in game two to drop the series 1-2.
The Tornadoes are 26-13 on the season, while Bryan is not 21-15 this year.
Talladega is back in action on Wednesday when it travels to conference rival Stillman College for a 1 p.m. start.
Game 1: Talladega 21, Bryan 5 – 7 innings
Trailing 3-0 going into the top of the second, the Tornadoes tied things up on three hits. With one down,
Isaac Guzman reached first after being hit by a pitch. He later scored when
Darlin Fernandez parked a two-run home run to straightaway center to make it 3-2.
Armando Jackson kept the inning moving when he singled through the left side. He later scored off an error by the right fielder to tie the game at three when
Birgilio Santana singled to right and took second on the play. Santana then moved to third following a ground out before the inning ended.
Talladega broke the game open in the third when it pushed six runs across on six hits with one of the hits being a home run off the bat of
Miguel Oropeza to go up 9-3.
The Tornadoes added a pair of runs in the fourth, four in the fifth, one in the sixth, and five in the seventh while Bryan scored a run in the fifth and sixth to trail 21-5.
Eight different Talladega players tallied two hits or more in the contest, with Santana pacing the way, going 4-for-5 with a run scored, three RBIs, and a double.
Guzman, Oropeza, and Jackson combined going 9-for-14 with nine runs scored, eight RBIs, four doubles, and two home runs.
Jahir Cruz,
Jonathan Williams,
Jeriel Lamboy, and Fernandez each had two hits apiece.
Starting pitcher
Samuel Guadamuz picked up the win while allowing five runs on five hits over seven innings of work. He fanned 12 in the process.
Game 2: Talladega 6, Bryan 7 – 7 innings
Down 4-0, headed to the top of the fifth, Santana singled to center with one down for Talladega. He was out at second on a fielder's choice, which allowed Williams to reach first. A fielding error by the third baseman allowed Lamboy to reach second and send Williams first to third. Both runners later scored off
Victor Rivera's single to left to cut the lead to 4-2. Rivera later moved to third when Oropeza singled through the left side to put runners on the corners with two outs. A second error in the inning allowed Cruz to reach first on a single and score both Oropeza and Rivera to tie the game. Cruz later scored when Guzman singled to left to put Talladega up 5-4 before the frame ended.
Byran retook the lead in the fifth when it plated a pair of runs on two hits to go up 6-4.
Down to their final three outs of the contest, it didn't look good as the first two batters flied out and lined out. With Oropeza coming up, Bryan decided to intentionally walk him. He later moved to second when Cruz singled. The Tornadoes were able to tie the game at six when Guzman singled to left to score Oropeza and force extra innings.
Joshua Catala Santos took advantage of another error by the Bryan third baseman to put the go-ahead run on for Talladega in the eighth. Santos attempted to move into scoring position but was thrown out at second trying to steal before the inning ended.
Bryan in its half of the eighth, was able to get two runners on by a hit by pitch and an intentional walk before an error by the first baseman allowed the winning run to score.
Guzman finished the contest going 4-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, while Rivera and Cruz combined going 4-for-8 with two runs scored and four RBIs.
Reliever
Diego Duque took the loss (0-1). He allowed one run, two walks in an inning and two-thirds. Starter
Daniel Jose struck out three while allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits in four innings of work.
