Kevin Lewis
Elizabethton Star Sports

The Milligan Collage Buffaloes opened their AAC play Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader split against Montreat College at Anglin Field, winning the first game 5-2 and losing the nightcap 10-0.

Milligan (4-10, 1-1 AAC) started strong in the first game, getting consecutive singles by Drew Anders and David Rusaw.

Kory Kinnear's double to right center scored Anders and put Rusaw on third as Montreat lefty Jason Adkins was already in a 1-0 hole with nobody out in the first inning.

Justin Sauceman grounded out to second, scoring Rusaw and giving the Buffaloes a 2-0 lead.

After Jon Edmonds grounded out to third for the second out, Todd Sangid singled to left, scoring Kinnear and giving Milligan a 3-0 lead after one inning of play.

Brett Seybert scattered four hits over the first five innings, holding Montreat scoreless.

"I had the change-up working today" said Seybert.

He certainly did. Seldom shaking off Edmonds, Seybert kept Montreat off balance, and for most of the game, off of the scoreboard.

Milligan didn't score in innings two, three and four. But it did have its chances.

Ben Huff led off the second inning with a stand-up double to left. Adkins, though, picked off Huff and tagged him out unassisted as Huff took to big a lead off of second and paid for it.

Rusaw led off the third with a single to left. A groundout put him in scoring position, but again was stranded.

Sangid singled to center leading off the fourth, went to third on a ground out by Tyler Turner and was also stranded.

Milligan pushed across a run in the fifth. After Anders walked on four pitches, Adkins was replaced by Coty Clark, who walked Rusaw to put runners on first and second with nobody out.

Kinnear responded with a sacrifice fly to center. Anders tagged up and went to third while Rusaw remained at first base.

A ground-rule double to left by Sauceman scored Anders and sent Rusaw to third. Milligan now led 4-0.

Rusaw and Sauceman were left stranded as Edmonds struck out looking and Sangid grounded out to third.

Seybert kept Montreat at bay, but was showing signs of fatigue in the sixth and seventh innings.

In the sixth, after inducing Preston Shytle to ground out to third, Seybert walked Ryan DeQuin and hit Chris Limpach with a 1-2 curve ball, putting runners on first and second with one out.

Both runners were stranded as Seybert got the next two batters out.

The same thing happened in the seventh. Following a pop-up to second by Clark Myers, Seybert walked Mark Hudson and Matt McCraw. Edmonds came to the rescue, picking off Hudson at second base for the second out.

Seybert then recorded a strikeout on a 3-2 fastball to end the inning, and Montreat stranded another runner.

Milligan scored its fifth and final run of the first game in the home seventh as Rusaw led off with a walk. Kinnear singled to right, sending Rusaw to third. Sauceman then grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, scoring Rusaw and giving Milligan a 5-0 lead.

Edmonds followed with an infield hit, but was left stranded as Sangid popped up to third to end the inning.

Beginning to tire as he was getting his pitches up in the strike zone, Seybert carried a four hit shut out into the ninth inning.

After getting Noel Berumen to ground out to second, Seybert yielded a single to Myers, walked Hudson, and McCraw (who moved from 2B to the mound to replace Clark in the eighth) then singled to center, scoring Berumen and Hudson, spoiling Seybert's shutout bid and cutting Milligan's lead to 5-2.

Milligan head coach Bernie Young removed Seybert and southpaw Jim Iademarco came on goet the final two outs that gave Milligan a 5-2 win.

Seybert, now 2-1, struck out three, walked four and hit two batters.

"This was my longest outing in college," Seybert said. "Physically, I was fine. Mentally, I got tired and had trouble focusing. But I mixed my pitches well and (Jon) Edmonds called a great game."

Young agreed: "Seybert pitched a great game -- I was relly impressed with him."

Rusaw, Kinnear and Sangid all had two hits apiece for Milligan.

The second game was another matter.

Milligan came out flat and stayed that way as Montreat scored early and often .

Milligan starter Adam Snyder gave up four runs in the first inning. Two were unearned as Anders committed two errors. Snyder gave up two hits. The final insult was when Dane Phillips stole home as Snyder began to crumble.

Montreat scored three more runs in the second inning on two hits and two walks by Snyder en route to a mercy-rule win.

Milligan had five hits and stranded six runners in the loss that ended after five innings of play. Snyder was tagged with the loss. Rusaw led Milligan with two hits.

Coach Young wasn't pleased with Game 2.

"We were complacent," he said. "We were not ready to play game two. Had we made some plays early, we might have had a chance."