Alpharetta, GA - After taking the first game in a four-hour bout on Monday, the Aviators host the Bucks in the second and last game of their opening series. Benjamin Weiser gets the nod to take the mound for the Aviators. Luke Miller lays down a leadoff double to get things started for the Bucks, however Weiser sent the next three Bucks back to the dugout with two putouts and a strike out. Grant Lester steps on the island for Brookhaven as Ryan Stephens leads it off for Alpharetta. Lester starts off strong as he gets Stephens on a swinging strikeout. This brings up Emory Gilford who hits a blooper single to get on base. This is followed by Jackson Morgan who reaches on a throwing error by Ty Petrovich. This didn’t seem to affect Lester as he sits down the next two batters to escape unscathed.
Brookhaven finds then finds themselves with a golden opportunity in the top of the second as Heath Owen reaches on a five pitch walk before Schley Gordy and Jackson Uggla reach on back-to-back errors from Will Mahoney. With bases loaded Andrew Bernard fights to earn a walk that brings in the first run of the game. Bill Gantt hits a sac fly to bring in another run and go up 2-0. Brayden Leonard gets put out on a 5-3 groundball for the second out, but back-to-back walks on Miller and Petrovich allow another run to score. With the Bucks up 3-0 early Alpharetta decides to look to their bullpen as Kalen Milstead looks to stop the bleeding. He is successful as he is able to strikeout Long to send it to the bottom of the second. Brookhaven then finds themselves in a hole as TJ Kloiber gets a free base as he’s hit by a pitch that’s followed by a walk from Tyler-James to put runners on first and second. Trey Kaiser and Will Mahoney are also hit by pitches which brings in a run to make it 1-3 and leaves bases loaded with no outs. Landon Armstong hits a ground ball, but a smart 5-2 play puts out Tyler-James at home. Ryan Stephens then grounded into a 5-2-3 double play to end an eventful second inning. The Bucks then went three up three down in the top of the third. Jake Beaver comes in for Lester in the bottom of the third where he makes quick work of Aviators as they blaze through the third inning.
The fourth inning looks like it will be another quick one as Uggla and Bernard flyout to right field. The Bucks don’t go down that easy as Gnatt and Leonard hit back to back two out singles to get in scoring position, but Luke Miller pops up to leave both of them stranded. Kloiber draws a walk to start the bottom of the fourth, but he is quickly sent back to the dugout as Tyler-James hits into a 6-3 double play. A throwing error allows Trey Kiser to reach first, but he gets caught trying to steal second to close out the inning. Milstead gets two quick strikeouts before Roddey gets a free base because of catchers interference. This
doesn’t come back to bite them as Owen is putout at first. Beaver breezes through the bottom of the fifth as the Aviators go down in order.
Braden Morrow is the fresh arm on the mound for the Aviators in the sixth. Gordy draws a leadoff walk, but he gets caught trying to steal second for the first out. Andrew Benard hits a two out single however, he gets stranded as Gantt flies out. Things get messy for the Bucks in the bottom of the first as Dawson Stevens takes the mound. He doesn’t last long as he walks the first three batters he faces to load the bases before being pulled for Jackson Chappell. Things don’t get much better as a wild pitch and passed ball brings in two runners to tie the game 3-3 as Cowart draws a walk and steals a base to put himself in scoring position. TJ Kloiber hits into a 6-3 putout that puts Cowart on third and brings in Dowdell to go up 4-3. Cowart then scores on another passed ball to give themselves a 5-3 cushion. Chappell then strikes out the next batter and gets a putout at first to finally bring the sixth to a close.
Baylor Homesley is subbed onto the mound in the top of the seventh. Luke Miller draws a one out walk, but he is caught stealing on the same pitch that strikes out Petrovich in a beautiful two punch play that shuts down the Bucks in the seventh. Mahoney reaches first on a bobbled ball before Armstrong hits one straight back at the mound that leads to a 1-6-3 double play. Steven Vrolijk strikes out to end the seventh. The Bucks go down on back-to-back to back strike outs in the top of the eighth. Luke Manry is the last pitcher to take the mound for Brookhaven, and he sits the first two batters down with ease. Dowdell finds the gap in left field, but he gets greedy and is thrown out at second. Finally, Ryan Travis comes in to close it out for the Aviators. He gives up a two out single to Tyler Bayer, but ultimately, he was able to secure a 5-3 win.
Alpharetta sweeps Brookhaven in their opening series. Milstead gets the win and Stevens gets the loss. Alpharetta will travel to Cartersville to take on the Cannons on Friday, and Brookhaven will travel to Choccolocco to take on the Monsters on Friday as well.
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