SEWANEE, Tenn. - The Vikings closed out their three-game series against Sewanee with a huge 8-5 victory on Sunday afternoon to close out regular season play.
Berry's offense was on full display behind a combined six hits from Riley Uhls and Aiden Cloud, who had three apiece. The Vikings also got huge RBI contributions from Garrett Lang and Nick Brunswick who each had two.
The pitching staff also earned its stripes, with five different Vikings seeing action. Berry's pitchers controlled the game, especially in the final three innings, when CJ Whaley, Mason Schoonover, and Cole Porter allowed zero runs to close out the game.
After being sent away in order in the first half inning, the Vikings repaid the favor to the Tigers despite giving up a lead-off hit, Jackson Collett found command and sent the game to the top of the second scoreless.
The Viking batting unit heated up in the top of the second, with three straight base hits from Jacob Bridges, Austin Jetmore, and Aiden Cloud, which resulted in Bridges coming home off a Cloud RBI single. With just one out and the bases loaded, Garrett Lang reached first base off a fielder's choice and scored Jetmore in the process as the Vikings enjoyed a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the second.
Berry's defense continued its solid play in the home half of the second inning, sending the Tigers away in just five at-bats to maintain their 2-0 lead.
The offense opened up even more in the top of the third inning for the Vikings thanks to an error from the Sewanee defense that scored Bridges for the second time in the game as well as Andrew Pendleton to take a 4-0 lead. Sewanee finally strung together some offense in the bottom of the third as they cut the Berry lead to 4-1.
The Viking offense then stalled in the top of the fourth inning and Sewanee scored off an RBI single to cut the Viking lead to 4-2 just before Brady Greene entered on the mound and helped the Vikings escape the inning.
Berry's offense woke up again in the top of the fifth with some nifty base-running from Tanaka Mukono that led to him scoring off a Lang RBI to give Berry a 5-2 lead. Sewanee would sneak in a run with two outs in the bottom of the inning though to keep Sewanee within striking distance.
After a scoreless inning at the top of the sixth, the Vikings gave up a double with two runners on that resulted in two runs scored and a tie ball game at 5 heading into the top of the seventh.
After both teams went scoreless in the seventh inning, it set up a crucial eighth-inning frame for the Vikings. A balance of plate discipline and sharp hits led to Charles Pulaski and Garrett Lang finding their way on base. That set up an eager Nick Brunswick, who wasted no time sending through a base hit right up the middle of the field that scored both Pulaski and Lang to give Berry a 7-5 lead. Berry did not stop there, though, as Riley Uhls added to his record-breaking RBI total for the season with a liner that pierced the Sewanee left field, bringing in Brunswick to give the Vikings an 8-5 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth.
With Mason Schoonover on the mound, a pivotal 4-6 double play alleviated pressure against the newly entered pitcher. Schoonover then worked a full count and retired a batter through a ground out to first base to send the Vikings into the top of the ninth.
Unable to provide themselves any additional insurance in the top of the ninth, the Vikings entered the bottom half with an 8-5 lead and a fresh Cole Porter on the mound.
Porter would deliver two quick outs before walking a Tiger batter to first base. Determined not to allow another comeback victory from Sewanee, Porter sent the final Sewanee batter away on strikes, preserving an 8-5 win in the regular season finale.
The Vikings now set their sights on the SAA conference tournament, beginning on May 2nd.
