Blue Jays split with Lincoln

By: Danton Hughes

Westminster split a doubleheader with Lincoln University on Tuesday afternoon in Fulton.  After dropping game one 6-5, the Blue Jays were able to hold on to take the nightcap 9-8.

Lincoln jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first.  Zach Roberts and James Earleywine lead off the game with back-to-back walks and would come around to score on a Ben Stewart homerun. Logan Smith would draw a one out walk and would later score on a double by Craig Jones.

The Blue Jays would answer with three runs in the bottom of the second.  Tyler Branneky leadoff the inning with a homerun.  Dant Hughes would follow with a single up the middle to push his hitting streak to 19 games.  Mike Washington would reach on an error to score Hughes, and a sacrifice fly by Cam Backes would score Tim Chambliss who doubled earlier in the inning.

The Blue Tigers would score two more in the top of the 4^th off of Westminster reliever Miller Bowles to make it 6-3 Blue Tigers.  Bowles replaced starter Jake Rule with one out in the first inning.   The Blue Jays were unable to respond when they stranded a leadoff triple by Chambliss.

Westminster threatened again in the 5^th when they loaded the bases with no outs but scored just once to cut the lead to 6-4.

The Blue Jays were only able to add a run in the 7^th when Backes would score on a sac fly by Andy Pichler.  The Blue Jays, who outhit the Blue Tigers 8 to 5 were lead by Deion Hughes who was 3-4 with a double, and Tim Chambliss was 2-3 with a double and a triple.

In game two, the Blue Jays got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning.  Jacob Holtgraewe walked, Deion Hughes singled, and Tyler Branneky walked to load the bases.  Holtgraewe would score on a wild pitch, and Deion Hughes would score on a Dant Hughes’ ground out.  Branneky would come around to score on a Chambliss single to make it 3-0 Blue Jays.

Lincoln would answer with 3 runs of their own in the top of the 2^nd off of Westminster starter Seth Lehmen.  The big hit came from 9 hole hitter Martin Gulley when he doubled to deep centerfield.

The Blue Jays would answer back in the bottom of the second when Tanner Branneky lead off the inning with a homerun.  Deion Hughes would drive home Backes who singled earlier in the inning to make it 5-3.  Tyler Branneky would drive home Hughes to cap off the three run inning.

Lincoln would add two more runs in the 3^rd to cut the lead to 6-5.  In the bottom half of the inning Tanner Branneky would drive in Washington to push the lead back to 7-5.

Westminster would add a run in the bottom of the 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th to push the lead back to 9-5.  In the 3^rd, Tanner Branneky drove in Washington who had singled earlier in the inning.  In the 4^th, Tyler Branneky would drive in Holgraewe who had walked to start the inning.  And in the 5^th, Backes would score on a wild pitch.

Lincoln would add runs in the 6^th, 7^th, and 9^th but the Blue Jays were able to hold on to the lead.  Collin Brinker picked up the save, he worked the final 3 innings.  Brinker allowed two runs on three hits and struck out four.  Jake Lund picked up the win in relief.  He worked 3.1 innings and allowed one run on four hits while striking out four.   Deion Hughes led the Blue Jay offense by going 4-4 with a walk.  Tanner Branneky was 2-3 with two RBI, Tyler Branneky was 2-4 and Tim Chambliss was 2-5.