Siena Baseball scored its first February win in six years with a 9-8 10-inning triumph over Bradley in the series and doubleheader finale at the USA Baseball Complex in Millington, Tennessee. The Braves won the opener 7-3 to take the neutral site series.
Game One: Bradley 7, Siena 3
Bradley (1-5) scored four times in the third and added a pair of key insurance runs in the eighth to take the series.
Beau Durbin went 3-4 and set the tone with a three-run homer to punctuate the four-run third for Bradley.
Siena (1-5) responded with three in the ensuing half inning, highlighted by RBI singles from
Owen Pincince and
Edwin Sanchez. But that was all the offense the Saints could muster against three Braves hurlers.
Game Two: Siena 9, Bradley 8 (10)
Pincince started a two-out, bases empty rally in the tenth with a single and came across to score the decisive run on a wild pitch as Siena prevailed in a back-and-forth nightcap.
The Saints led 1-0 in an early pitchers' duel heading to the home half of the fourth before Bradley put four runs across, highlighted by a two-run single from JD Bogart.
The Siena offense came to life over the ensuing four innings, responding with seven total runs while scoring in each frame to claim an 8-5 lead through the top of the eighth.
The Saints drew even with three in the fifth and, after Bradley went back on top in the home half, Siena knotted the score at 5-5 in the sixth on an RBI double from
Jeremy Sangalang.
Noah Brooks gave the Saints the lead on an RBI single in the seventh, and Siena tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the eighth.
But Bradley got one back in the eighth and forced extras with a two-run ninth. However, right fielder
Gunnar Meland cut down the potential winning run at home to give Siena what proved to be its decisive shot in the tenth.
Pincince and Sangalang led the way with three hits apiece as part of a 15-hit attack.
Aidan Paradine,
Jake Sparks, Brooks, and
Gavin Thorburn all added multi-hit efforts.
Sebastian Bentz closed the door in the tenth to earn the save.
Siena returns to Tennessee next weekend for a three-game series hosted by East Tennessee State. The Saints open play with doubleheader action Friday against in-state foe Binghamton at noon, before taking on the host Bucs at 4 p.m.
