THOMASVILLE, Ga. – GAME 3 – A day after taking two SSAC losses to Thomas University, Blue Mountain Christian got back on track and salvaged Game 3 here Saturday, winning 8-5.
The Nighthawks started quick, getting a pair of runs in the first inning on an RBI single and a groundout.
Blue Mountain's Chris Smith put his team on the board in the second, as he drove in a run with a single to left to make it 2-1.
The Toppers tied it in the top of the fourth when Hayden Arant tripled to right and later scored on a wild pitch.
Blue Mountain opened up in the fifth, as they would score three runs thanks to a double steal that Gavin Coles scored on and a pair of bases-loaded walks to take a 5-2 lead.
Josiah Rivera would kick of the sixth for the Toppers with a solo home run to left center to put the Toppers up 6-2.
In the seventh, Carson Gault teed off on a pitch from Jacob Pino for a solo homer to give BMCU an 8-2 lead, his seventh of the season.
Thomas would fight back in the eighth, as Easton Willis would connect for a three-run homer to make it 8-5 Toppers.
The Toppers would bring on Jesse Hancock (1) to close the doors for the save, preserving the win for starter Matthew Koch.
Koch (3-3) was strong in the middle innings, as he would toss 7.1 innings, giving up five runs on eight hits with six Ks.
Gault led the way with two hits and three RBI, while Coles and Smith had two hits apiece in the victory for BMCU.
BMCU's Hayden Redding swiped two more bases in the game, giving him 33 on the season and placing him second in the nation, just three shy of NAIA leader Luis Cedeno of Warner (Fla.).
BMCU (22-11, 8-10 SSAC) returns to action Tuesday as they travel to Walnut Ridge, Ark. to take on Williams Baptist in a non-conference doubleheader with first pitch set for 12 p.m. CT.
 
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