WILSON, NC – The Salem International University baseball team opened its 2017 season with a pair of losses to Barton College on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 4) at Nixon Field. A two-run bottom of the sixth inning in game one would propel the Bulldogs past the Tigers 5-3, despite SIU scoring a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning. SIU would score first in game two, only to see Barton score three times in the bottom of the first inning en route to a 14-2 victory.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP: 
Final: Game One: Salem Int'l 3, Barton College 5
         Game Two: Salem Int'l 2, Barton College 14
Records: Salem Int'l (0-2), Barton College (4-0)
Location: Nixon Field | Wilson, North Carolina

HOW IT HAPPENED:

•  Game One
  • Senior left-hander Abel Hernandez took to the mound for the Tigers and was opposed by junior right-hander Trent Fennell.
  • Fennell retired the side in-order - all via strikeout - in the top of the first inning.
  • The Bulldogs scored the first run on the contest on an RBI groundout by junior Hunter Pearre.
  • Fennell continued his strong start, striking-out the side again in the second inning.
  • Hernandez worked in-and-out of a jam in the bottom of the second inning, striking-out back-to-back batters and stranding two Bulldogs on base.
  • Barton sophomore Troy Maslowski gave his team a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning with an RBI single to center field, scoring junior Christian Dix from third.
  • The Tigers cut the deficit to 2-1 in the fifth inning as junior Zach Mullinax scored on an error in right field by the Bulldogs.
  • Senior Calvin Hawke's single in the bottom of the fifth inning gave the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead. Pearre made it 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning with his two-RBI double to right field.
  • Senior Trent Dalton started the Tigers' rally in the top of the seventh inning, delivering a single to right field to trim the Barton lead to 5-2. Sophomore Isaiah Arroyo, who entered as a pinch-hitter for Freshman Tyler Ault, laced a single down the right field line to plate the Tigers third run of the game.
  • Fennell (1-0) earned the win for Barton, fanning 13 batters in 6.1 innings of work. He scattered two hits and one walk while allowing two unearned runs.
  • Hernandez (0-1) took the loss for the Tigers and allowed five runs - four earned - on seven hits in 5.2 innings of work. Hernandez fanned three batters and walked two on 95 pitches. Sophomore lefty Joshua Delaney faced one batter in the bottom of the sixth inning, recording a pop-up to the shortstop.

•  Game Two
  • Sophomore right-hander Jordan Wagner took to the mound for the Tigers in the second game, while senior right-hander Kerry Walker got the nod for Barton.
  • SIU took its first lead of afternoon (1-0) in the top of the first inning thanks to a single from senior Donato Gallano and a double to left field by senior Sean Deviney.
  • Wagner looked like he would escape the bottom of the first without allowing a run but a two-out three-run home run from sophomore Gatlin Pate made it 3-1 Bulldogs.
  • Barton sophomore Ricks Dearing upped the Bulldogs lead to 4-1 with his RBI single up the middle in the second inning.
  • Sophomore Albert Cartenuto replaced Wagner to start the bottom of the fourth inning for the Tigers. The Bulldogs rallied to plate three runs against Cartenuto in the frame, highlighted by a two-RBI double to right field by senior Andrew Webster that made it 6-1.
  • The Bulldogs kept the offense going, plating a pair of runs in the fifth inning and five runs in the sixth inning. 11 batters came to the plate for Barton in the sixth inning, resulting in five runs on seven hits. 
  • Sophomore lefty Michael Rupp worked out of a bases-loaded situation to end the sixth, striking-out Pate to end the frame.
  • SIU scored its second run of the game in the top of the seventh inning against Barton reliever Justin Evans. The senior southpaw issued a lead-off walk to Mullinax and two batters later allowed an RBI double to left field off the bat of Arroyo.
  • Walker (2-0) earned the win for Barton, allowing only one run in six innings of work. He scattered four hits and recorded four strikeouts on 86 pitches for the Bulldogs.
  • Wagner (0-1) took the loss for the Tigers, allowing four runs on five hits in three innings of work. He fanned two batters and walked one on 49 pitches.

 STATS FROM THE DOUBLEHEADER:

• Ault recorded his first collegiate hit for the Tigers with a single to right field in the third inning of game two.
• Arroyo went a combined 2-for-4 at the plate for SIU, while driving in a pair of runs for the Tigers.
• Mullinax scored two runs for SIU on the day and recorded a hit for the Tigers.
• Dalton recorded six assists between the two games for the Tigers at second base.
• Pearre finished the day 4-for-6 at the plate with five RBIs and three runs scored for Barton.
• Hawke capped off a 5-for-7 day with a 4-for-4 effort in the second game for the Bulldogs.
• Montren went a combined 3-for-6 with three runs scored and one RBI.

UP NEXT:

The Tigers will head to Due West, South Carolina on Friday (Feb 10) and Saturday (Feb 11) for a three-game series with Erskine College. The teams will play a nine-inning contest on Friday afternoon (2 p.m.) and wrap-up the series with two seven-inning games on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. Live stats will be available for at www.SIUTigerPride.com.