Orange Park, Florida-For the second straight series, weather played a significant part in the altering of the schedule. A scheduled Saturday-Sunday three game SIAC series against East Division foe Morehouse had to be moved to Thursday-Friday due to rain that is expected to hit the Northeast Florida area over the weekend. The two teams split the Thursday doubleheader with Edward Waters winning Game One 9-3 and Morehouse taking Game Two 16-6. The Purple & Orange were able to clinch the series on Friday morning with an 8-3 victory in games played at the Ridgeview High School Baseball Complex.

GAME ONE: Edward Waters 9, Morehouse 3:
The visitors from Atlanta's University Center got on the board first in the top of the first inning with a solo homer to take an early 1-0 lead. Edward Waters responded in the bottom of the second inning when Ferante Cowart earned an RBI courtesy of a bases loaded hit-by-pitch to tie the score at 1-1. Morehouse surged ahead again in the top of the third on an RBI double to right field that gave them a 2-1 lead, but in the bottom of the fifth an Isaiah Montes RBI sacrifice fly again tied the score at 2-2.

The big inning for the Tigers came in the bottom of the sixth when six came across to score to give EWU their first lead of the game. Sacrifice flys from Cowart and Anthony Roman, a bases loaded hit-by-pitch to Montes, and Hugo Schoening reaching on a Morehouse error allowed three Tigers to score to give EWU an 8-2 lead. Morehouse brought a run back in the top of the eighth but EWU responded again in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single from Schoening, pushed EWU to the 9-3 victory.

Leonel Garcia led EWU going 3-for-5, while Montes and Hutchinson each went 2-for-3. Anthony Bayyat remained undefeated on the season going 8.0 innings, allowed 10 hits, three earned runs, and struck out six.

GAME TWO: Morehouse 16, Edward Waters 6:
The offensive success that the Tigers had in Game One, did not follow them into Game Two as Morehouse rolled early and often in the second matchup. The Maroon Tigers plated eight runs in the top of the first inning, including a three-run homer to take a commanding lead. Morehouse added three more runs in the top of the third to roll out to an 11-0 lead before Edward Waters could respond. An RBI groundout from Daquarius Thompkins finally put the Tigers on the board at 11-1 after three complete innings. Another RBI groundout from J. C. Medina pulled back another run for the Purple & Orange in the bottom of the fourth to pull Edward Waters within single digits at 11-2.

The Maroon Tigers posted three more runs in the top half of the fifth inning to make it a 14-2 lead, but the Tigers again brought back two runs in the bottom half of the fifth. Torry Jones' RBI triple, and a Thompkins RBI sac fly made it a 10 run ballgame at 14-4. The visitors scored single runs in the top of the sixth and top of the seventh, while EWU saw two runs come home themselves on a Medina sac fly and Jackson Spencer earning an RBI on an error in the bottom of the seventh wrapping up the scoring at 16-6 with the Maroon Tigers earning the win. 

Torry Jones led Edward Waters going 2-for-4 with an RBI in the contest. Cameron Chastain was charged with the loss, going just 0.2 innings, allowing six hits, six earned runs, and walking one. 

GAME THREE: Edward Waters 8, Morehouse 3:
After a tough showing in Game Two, Edward Waters found themselves looking to respond to earn a much needed series win. The Tigers got on the board first in the bottom of the first on a Torry Jones two-RBI single that made it a 2-0 EWU lead. The Tigers added another run in the bottom of the second on a bases loaded walk to Isaiah Montes to add to the lead at 3-0.

Morehouse got on the board in the top of the third on an RBI single to make it a 3-1 EWU lead, but the Tigers came back with a run of their own in the bottom of the third. Misael Ramos' RBI single made it a 4-1 contest through three innings. Things got a bit tense in the top of the fifth for Edward Waters as Morehouse came within one of the lead, scoring two runs to make it a 4-3 contest. In the bottom of the seventh, EWU got some separation with three runs coming home. A Leonel Garcia RBI triple, and RBI singles Caden Hutchinson and Hugo Schoening made it a 7-3 ballgame. Hutchinson, who celebrated his 21st birthday on Friday during the contest, added to his RBI tally with an RBI single to left field to add to the advantage at 8-3 after eight innings. EWU was able to lock things down in the top of the ninth to pick up the win and the series victory.

Hutchinson led the Tigers in the contest, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs, four stolen bases, and a run scored. Alexander Davila earned the win on the mound for the Tigers going 6.0 innings, allowing six hits, two earned runs, and struck out four.

Edward Waters hits the road next weekend to Atlanta for a three-game set against Clark Atlanta. A Friday single game affair starts things at 4:00pm, whle Saturday's doubleheader gets started at 1:00pm. 

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