By: Adeline Pearman, Sports Information Assistant

MOUNT BERRY, Ga. – The Berry College baseball team opened Southern Athletic Association (SAA) play with a doubleheader against the Hendrix Warriors, dropping both games with 8-7 and 4-3 finals.

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1):

• Hendrix jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second in game one.
• The Warriors added two more in the bottom of the third off of a Matthew Lillard single, pushing the score to 5-0.
• Berry answered in the top of the fourth when Kris Patel hit a three-run homer to left center, scoring three.
• In the top of the fifth, Alfred Francis singled, scoring Austin Haight and making the score 5-4.
• The Vikings then took the lead in the top of the ninth after a sacrifice fly from Slade Dale followed by a Casey Whitaker single. Francis was then able to score on a balk giving Berry the 7-5 lead.
• Hendrix was able to rally, scoring three in the bottom of the ninth to walk off with the tight 8-7 win. 

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2):

• Berry struck first in game two after a pair of Hendrix errors allowed two Vikings to cross the plate in the top of the second.
• Hendrix immediately answered, scoring four in the bottom of the second.
• Slade Dale would drive in the Vikings' final run of the day after shooting a single to center allowing Haight to score.

BERRY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS:

• Francis: 6-for-7, 3 R, 1 RBI
• Haight: 2-for-6, 3 R
• Whitaker: 2-for-8, 1 R, 2 RBI
• Slade Dale: 2-for-7, 1 R, 2 RBI
• Trey Rampy: 6.1 IP , 7 H, 2 K
• Ben Coker: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB 

HENDRIX STATISTICAL STANDOUTS:

• Judson: 4-for-9, 1 R, 3 RBI
• Cooper: 3-for-5, 2 R, 1 RBI
• Lillard: 3-for-7, 1 R, 5 RBI
• Robison: 1-for-6, 2 R
• Brown: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K

NOTABLES:

• The Vikings now is 7-6 and 0-2 in the SAA 

UP NEXT:

• The Viking will again face Hendrix tomorrow with a 1:00 p.m. start time.