ROME- The Shorter Hawks (10-13, 2-12 CC) fell to Emmanuel (12-13, 9-8 CC) Saturday afternoon in their series, dropping game two 8-2 before suffering a heartbreaking 7-4 loss in game three. 


GAME TWO

Game two started in Shorter's favor, with an RBI single from Drake Cobb to send home Griffin Tamucci, putting the Hawks ahead 1-0 in the first inning. Emmanuel would get their revenge in the third, with a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, followed up with a base on balls to give the Lions the 2-1 lead. Michael Barron sent a ball deep to right field to tie it at two runs apiece in the fourth, before Emmanuel struck back with a double that drove in two base-runners. After a quiet sixth inning, Emmanuel turned their 4-2 lead into an 8-2 lead with a pair of RBI singles and a sac-fly, and the Hawks would be unable to match the rhythm in the home half, resulting in an Emmanuel victory in game two.


GAME THREE
 

The Hawks opened game three in style as Wilmer Henriquez appeared to set the tone with a solo shot in the bottom of the first, his team-high tenth of the year. Emmanuel answered in the third with an RBI single to tie it up, before Micah Shipman kissed goodbye to a baseball to counter and put the Hawks ahead 2-1. In the fifth, the Lions would score a runner on an error to knot the score at 2-all, before Micah Shipman stepped up again with a double that sent around Josh Tattershall.


In the bottom half of the sixth, Shorter drove in another with a Drake Cobb RBI double that sent pinch-runner Cameron Adams home, along with an RBI single from Brooks McKenna that brought in Wilmer Henriquez. The Hawks entered the eighth up 5-3 before the Lions made some noise with an RBI single and an RBI double to tie it at five. In the top of the ninth, Shorter was unable to maintain the score and allowed a run to slip through to give Emmanuel the late 6-5 lead. Shorter was unable to execute in the home half and fell in a heartbreaking 6-5 loss, giving Emmanuel the series sweep.
 

Jay O'Neal pitched well in game three before an early exit, tossing four innings with two punchouts and one walk. Bennett Reeves also pitched a career-high three innings of relief and picked up three Ks with two walks. Christopher Pavlich entered the game in a tight bases-loaded situation and executed by striking out the lone batter he faced. Despite the loss, the young bullpen arms were able to get some great experience to stay ready for the future series to come.
 

UP NEXT

The Hawks aim to return to the win column in a non-conference matchup at home against Auburn-Montgomery on Tuesday. Shorter is set to take the field at 2:00 p.m. EST, with the game available for streaming on the Conference Carolinas Digital Network.
 

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