FLORENCE, Ala. -- Pitching for the first time since suffering an injury last March,
Chase Best threw five strong innings and led the University of North Alabama baseball team to a 6-3 win in the second game of a double-header at Mike Lane Field. Ohio won the opening game of the day, 6-4.
UNA, now 1-2 on the season, scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning of the nightcap on a two-run
Ben Kiefer double. The Lions quickly relinquished the lead when Ohio scored three in the top of the third inning but UNA tied the game in the bottom of the third as
Gerardo Miranda walked and scored on a
Kevin Brenning ground-out.
The Lions scored the go-ahead run in the fourth as
Reid Homan reached on an error, stole second and third and scored on a Kiefer RBI-single.
UNA padded the lead with two more runs on three hits in the fourth inning.
Grayson Throneberry walked and scored on a Homan sacrifice fly and Brenning singled and scored on an RBI-single by
Luke Harper.
Best (1-0), pitched five complete innings, allowing three runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Bryant Claunch pitched two scoreless innings in relief to earn his first save of the season.
Ohio took a 4-0 lead in game one as three batters walked and later scored. UNA got a run in the third on a Brenning triple and a Homan sacrifice fly.
Ohio made it 6-1 with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings before UNA rallied for three in the bottom of the sixth. Homan and Harper singled and
Landon Langston doubled in both runners.
Reid Singewald then singled, stole second and later scored on a Miranda sacrifice fly.
The Lions got one base runner on in the bottom of the seventh on a Homan single but OU's Nick Byrnes closed the door to get his second save of the series.
Hacob Laws (0-1) took the loss for UNA, allowing five runs on four hits over four and two-thirds innings.
Austin Nichols allowed one run on two hits over the final two and a third innings.
Brenning was four-for-six for the Lions with three runs scored and an RBI. Homan was three-for-six with two runs scored and two RBI.
The Lions and Bobcats will play the final game of the series Sunday at noon at Mike Lane Field.
