Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 Franklin Springs, GA – The Emmanuel Baseball team hosted Southern Wesleyan University Warriors this weekend in a three game conference series. Game one was an offensive outburst, with the Warriors earning the 17-8 victory. The Lions took game two in walk-off fashion on a walk to Nick Madrigal to earn the 7-6 win. In game three, the Lions took an early lead, holding off the Warriors late on key strikeouts by Zach Evans to earn the 5-3 win. The Lions took the series 2-1! 

GAME ONE

Hunter Pirkle started game one on the mound for the Lions. After giving up a single to start things off, the Warriors scored a run on a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead. Pirkle closed out the inning with a pop up and a groundout to limit the damage. 

In the top of the 2^nd, Pirkle sat down the Warriors to keep the score 1-0. The Lions threatened in the bottom of the 2^nd, with Reece Kingeter getting on board with a hit by pitch and Davis Roesler hitting a single to center to put Kingeter in scoring position, but a groundout ended the inning with the Warriors leading 1-0.

The Warriors took a 4-0 lead in the top of the 3^rd on a 3-run home run, but Pirkle struck out two batters in a row to end the at-bat with the Lions trailing 4-0. 

In the top of the 4^th, Miles Dodd relieved Pirkle after the Warriors took a 7-0 lead on a solo homerun and a two-run home run. The Warriors would go onto score two more runs on 3 hits in the 4^th to take a 9-0 lead. 

The Warriors made it 12-0 in the top of the 5^th, scoring 3 runs on 5 hits. The Lions answered in the bottom half of the inning. After a walk to Jaden Madrid, Haidyn McGill and Chaz Encarnacion were hit by a pitch to load the bases. Madrid scored on a sac fly and a single by Dee Oliver juiced the bases again. Reece Kingeter took advantage of the opportunity smashing a grand slam to left center to clear the bases, cutting the Warrior lead to 12-5. 

Lucas Meehan was on the mound to start off the top of the 6^th, striking out two batters but giving up 3 singles and a walk to score 2 runs, making the score 14-5, Warriors. Madrid got on base in the bottom half of the inning, but a double play ended the threat with the Warriors up 14-5.

Meehan sat down the Warriors in the top of the 7^th. After a leadoff single, the Warriors hit into a double play. A strikeout ended the inning with no further damage. The Lions got a run back in the bottom half of the inning. After Kingeter was hit by a pitch, Nick Madrigal singled and Davis Roesler doubled to score a run, cutting the Warrior lead to 14-6. 

After the Warriors picked up two singles, Jacob Bodkin came in to pitch for the Lions in the top of the 8^th. The Warriors scored 3 runs on 3 hits and an error, but Bodkin ended the inning with a strikeout to make the score 17-6, Warriors. 

Hunter Maddox came in to close out the game for the Lions on the mound in the top of the 9^th. Two runners got on base, but a groundout ended the at-bat with no further damage done. The Lions rallied in the bottom of the 9^th. Kingeter singled to start off the inning and Roesler reached on an error which advanced Kingeter to 2^nd. A double by Parker Westbrook scored a run and a single by Connor Goltermann scored another to make the final score 17-8, Warriors.

At the plate, the Lions were led by Reece Kingeter who went 2-3 with 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored. 

On the mound, Hunter Pirkle and Lucas Meehan picked up 3 strikeouts apiece. 

GAME TWO

Ethan Pooler took the mound in game two of the series. He gave up one hit in the first two innings and struck out three batters to keep the score knotted at 0-0. In the bottom of the 2^nd, the Lions got on the board. After Reece Kingeter and Nick Madrigal got hit by a pitch and Dee Oliver reached on an error to loa the bases, Jaden Madrid reached on a fielder's choice to score a run, giving the Lions the 1-0 lead. 

Pooler kept dealing in the top of the 3^rd, sitting down the side with two groundouts and a strikeout. The Lions added to their lead in the bottom of the 3^rd. Davis Roesler doubled down the left field line to start off the at-bat, and he advanced to 3^rd on a wild pitch. After a walk to Madrigal, Roesler scored on an error by the 2^ndbaseman to give the Lions the 2-0 lead. 

 The Warriors tied things up in the top of the 4^th. Back-to-back doubles and a single scored two runs to tie the game at 2-2. Pooler gave up 4 hits in the inning but worked his way out of the jam without giving up any more runs. Luke Hopper relieved him with two outs and the bases loaded to get the final out. The Lions threatened in the bottom of the 4^th, with Madrid and McGill getting on base, but a strikeout ended the inning with the game tied at 2-2. 

The Warriors took the lead in the top of the 5^th, scoring 3 runs on 2 hits and an error to make the score 5-2, SWU.

In the top of the 6^th, Hopper took care of business allowing one baserunner, but a fielder's choice ended the inning with the baserunner getting thrown out at 2^nd. The Lions bats got to work in the bottom of the 6^th. Dee Oliver singled to centerfield to start off the at-bat and Conor Goltermann was hit by a pitch to advance Oliver. Madrid kept things going with a single to load the bases and a single by McGill scored Oliver to cut the Warriors lead to 5-3. Chaz Encarnacion reached on a fielder's choice to score Madrid, making it 5-4 Warriors. A double by Aidan Feather to left field scored two runs, giving the Lions the lead, 6-5. 

After two quick outs, Hopper got into some trouble on the mound in the top of the 7th. He gave up a run on 2 hits to tie the game at 6-6, but Chase Lupton relieved him to get the final out.  

After a lead-off baserunner, Lupton sat down the side in the top of the 8^th with two strikeouts and a groundout. 

In the top of the 9^th, Lupton gave up a leadoff single then sat down the side to keep the score tied at 6-6. Matt Layton started the bottom of the 9^th strong for the Lions with a single to right field. After Alex Calabro was hit by a pitch to advance Layton to 2^nd, Madrigal reached 1^st on an error to score Layton in walk-off fashion, giving the Lions the win, 7-6!

At the plate, Jaden Madrid was 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

On the mound, Ethan Pooler, Luke Hopper and Chase Lupton combined for 9 strikeouts, with Pooler fanning 5 batters in 3.2 innings of work. Lupton earned the win to move to 2-1 on the season.

GAME THREE

Logan Taylor got the start for the Lions on the mound in the rubber match of the series. He sat down the Warriors in order in the top of the 1^st with one strikeout. The Lions went down in order to keep the game scoreless after the 1^st.

In the top of the 2^nd, Taylor kept dealing sitting down the side. The Lions bats got to work in the bottom half of the inning. Nick Madrigal singled to left field to start things off and Matt Layton followed that up with a single to center. Dee Oliver kept the inning going with a single to shortstop to load the bases and a single by Haidyn McGill scored a run, giving the Lions the lead, 1-0. Chaz Encarnacion singled to right field to score two runs, making it 3-0 Lions after the 2^nd.

Taylor gave up a single in the top of the 3^rd, but a strikeout ended the at-bat with the Lions ahead, 3-0. The Lions picked up two hits in the bottom of the 3^rd, but a strikeout would end the inning.

The Warriors got on the board in the top of the 4^th. A baserunner reached on an error to start off the inning and a double scored him to make it, 3-1 Lions. Taylor struck out two batters in the 4^th, but Matthew Delarbar relieved him to get the final out. The Lions answered in the bottom half of the inning. After a walk to Oliver, Calabro singled to the pitcher to advance Oliver to 3^rd. McGill reached on a fielder's choice to score Oliver, giving the Lions the 4-1 lead. McGill advanced to 3^rd on a wild pitch and the Warriors gave up three walks to score McGill, making it 5-1 Lions. 

After two baserunners got on board early in the 5^th, Zach Evans relieved Delarbar on the mound. A single scored a run for the Warriors to cut the Lions lead to 5-2. In the bottom half of the inning, Goltermann got on base with a walk, but the Warriors sat down the side to keep the score at 5-2. 

Evans gave up a leadoff single in the top of the 6^th. After a strikeout, a runner got on board on a fielder's choice with the leadoff runner getting out at 2^nd. The baserunner advanced to 3^rd on a wild pitch and scored on a single to cut the Lions lead to 5-3, but Evans closed the door on the Warriors with a pop-up. 

Evans shut down the Warriors with three straight strikeouts in the top of the 7^th to give the Lions the win, 5-3 and the series, 2-1! 
At the plate, Matt Layton went 2-3 with a run scored.

On the mound, Logan Taylor and Zach Evans combined for 8 strikeouts, with 4 apiece. Evans closed the door on the Warriors with three strikeouts in the top of the 7^th to earn the win for the Lions. 

Next up, the Lions will travel to face Mars Hill on Tuesday at 3PM, For more information on Emmanuel University athletics, visit goeulions.com.