Contributed
(April 10, 2010)

ROME, Ga. — Mitch Terry became the all-time home run leader for the Berry baseball team and helped propel the team to a 13-12 win over Auburn-Montgomery on Friday night at William R. Bowdoin Field. The Vikings improve to 17-15, while the Senators are now 21-17.

Terry smacked a three-run home run in the top of the fourth inning for his 31st career home run. It made him the out-right home run leader at Berry, eclipsing the previous record of 30 set by Mark Cox from 1991-94. The three-run shot was part of a six-run inning that helped the Vikings erase a 5-0 deficit from an error-filled first inning.

Despite leading by a 13-6 score, the Senators continued to battle and a six-run seventh inning for the visitors made it a 13-12 game. The Senators loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth, but freshman pitcher Joshua Dilbeck (1) came in to strikeout the final three batters of the game to record his first save of the year. The resilient Berry hitting helped Berry starter Casey Gray (3-3) pick up the win. Jeffrey Van Fossen (3-4) took the loss for AUM.

Justin Williams led the AUM attack with four hits and two RBI, as AUM outhit Berry 13-11.  Michael Dugan had two hits and three RBI while Jorden Johnson had two RBI.  Sam Judah and Will Sellers also had two hits each in the loss.

Terry was 3-for-5 with six RBI to lead the Vikings. Jarrett Northcutt, who batted ahead of Terry, was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and four runs scored. Michael Dunlavy was also 2-for-3 with three RBIs for a Berry team that had 11 hits in the game.

The loss stopped AUM’s season-long eight game winning streak.  The two teams will conclude the weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Softball sweeps Southern Wesleyan

Danielle Kirkpatrick’s RBI fielder’s choice in the bottom of the sixth inning broke a 5-all tie as Auburn Montgomery went on to defeat Southern Wesleyan University 7-5 in the second game of a softball doubleheader.

AUM built a 5-0 lead heading into the fifth inning behind some timely hits and the pitching of Danielle Ryan (11-4), who did not allow a hit until the fifth inning when SWU strung together three one-out hits to push across three runs.

SWU would then even the score at five in the sixth when Kayla Galloway connected on a two-run homerun, scoring Briana Russo to even the score.

In the decisive bottom of the sixth, AUM started the inning as Kacie Ryal got on base via a dropped pop-up on the infield.  Stacin Halverson came in to run for her and promptly stole second base.  After Shea Driggers reached on a walk, Allie Bobo reached base via another infield error allowing the bases to load.  That is when Kirkpatrick drove in Halverson with a fielder’s choice, and Brandi Richards had a two-out single to push across the seventh and final run.

Stephanie Baxley entered the game in the top of the seventh and retired the Lady Warriors and picked up her first save of the season.

Taylor Burt had two hits and a RBI, while Bobo and Richards finished with two hits.  AUM got RBI hits from Alli Converse and Joanna Reynolds, while Monica Hatcher had two RBI.

SWU had six hits by six different players.  Joining Galloway with RBI were Candace Graves, Megan Lee and Courtney Moore.

The first game of the double-header was all Richards (8-5).  She had 14 strikeouts in six innings of work and only allowed two hits and one unearned run.

AUM scored two runs in the first, one in the third, and two in the fourth before putting the game away with three runs in the sixth.

Burt had three hits and four RBI, including her fourth homerun of the season in the fourth inning.  Monica Hatcher and Halverson finished with two hits as AUM out hit SWU 10-2.  Sara Allen had a triple and two RBI while Driggers and Hatcher picked up RBI hits.

Tish Winchester and Christy Hudson had SWU’s only two hits while Courtney Moore scored the only run in the third inning.

AUM moves to 28-13-1 overall and 14-7-1 in conference action, while SWU moves to 8-30 overall and 3-21 in the conference.  AUM will host Emmanuel College tomorrow at 2 p.m.  AUM will honor its four seniors in between the games.