TIFTON — Drew Rothschild singled to walk off an Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College 9th inning win, but Andrew College salvaged a split in a Saturday afternoon doubleheader.
A win a day earlier gave the Golden Stallions the overall weekend advantage over Andrew.
ABAC never trailed in Saturday’s opening 7-6 win, but saw the Tigers erase a pair of multi-run deficits to send the contest to its last at-bat.
Neither team scored in the 8th and Terry Garmon shut down Andrew in the 9th. In the bottom half Kenton Collier, Quinten Rawls and C.J. Rose hit back-to-back-to-back singles — Collier beating the throw on an infield grounder and Rawls bunting — to load the bases with no outs for Rothschild.
The drama was short-lived as Rothschild punched a ball to right field for Collier to all but walk home.
The walk-off erased bad memories of the earlier comebacks.
ABAC leapt ahead 3-0 in the first three frames, Rothschild being a major factor in those runs, too. He drove in four of the seven for the contest.
He had the first RBI, a sacrifice fly to score Rawls in the 1st. Two innings later, Wyatt Talik led off with a double, then was joined on the basepaths by Rawls, who was hit by a pitch.
Rothschild singled to score Talik. An error on a throw back in saw Rawls scoot around the bases for the third run and Rothschild wind up at third.
The Tigers erased the momentum with one swing of the bat in the 4th.
With two outs, Andrew kept the inning alive on an appeal that Thomas Murcia avoided a tag on an infield grounder. Bryson Brookshire followed with a single and Daniel Rivera cleaned up everyone with a homer to left field.
ABAC regained the lead in the bottom half, Matthew Glass doubling, moving up on a ground out, then scoring on a wild pitch. The Tigers came back in the 6th when Brookshire singled in Phillip Hodges.
The Golden Stallions seemed well on their way to winning in the bottom of the 6th on two runs. Chasin Cash gave them the lead back on a solo shot that ticked off the centerfielder’s glove over the fence.
Joe Cooney beat out a grounder to third and soon moved up two bags when the Tigers, hopeful of a double play, threw wide to second. Collier grounded out, plating Cooney in the process.
Kam Taylor’s two-out double in the 7th brought home Gage Fullerton and Zack Bowman, knotting the score again.
Losing the late lead cost Jordan Stephens a win. The freshman from Rochelle allowed a mere two earned runs in 6+ innings of work where he struck out a remarkable 13 men. Garmon fanned four in 2.1 innings of work.
ANDREW 6, ABAC 5
Four runs in the 6th propelled the Tigers from Cuthbert over ABAC in the second contest Saturday.
The Stallions had a 3-2 lead through four frames, then tacked on two more in the 5th.
Murcia had the game-winning two-run single for Andrew. Dominic Elam also drove in two on a single in the 6th.
Rose homered twice. He opened scoring with a solo shot, then drove in Rawls on a blast in the 4th. Cooney also hit a long ball.
Rothschild provided the other run, driving in Collier in the 5th.
Lucas Morici struck out 10 in 5.2 innings.
ABAC 3, ANDREW 1 (Friday)
A day before the homer fest, the Stallions and Tigers engaged in a pitching duel.
Rawls and Collier came around on a 1st inning double by Rothschild. Cooney plated Cameron Campbell on a groundout in the 4th.
Andrew scratched out its lone run in the 8th.
Trypp Lumpkin went six innings on the hill. ABAC pitchers allowed a mere five hits.