Blackburn College Sophomore Righthander Tyler Jackson pitched a complete game to lead the Beavers to a 2-1 non-conference victory on Sunday in Carbondale. Jackson struck out seven without a walk and was the beneficiary of a Blackburn defense that turned four double plays and did not commit an error. Blackburn picked up the first victory of the season and opened the weekend going 1-2.
Wilmington threatened in the second inning loading the bases with one out before a hot smash was fielded at first by Mitchell Binder who stepped on first and threw to Avery Dugan at the plate for a 3-2 inning ending double play. The game stayed scoreless until the fifth when Blaine Dunning opened the inning with a bunt single, Dunning was throw out at second on a steal attempt as he overslid the bag. Nolan Rooney then followed with his first college hit and promptly stole second. After Trevor Platt grounded out, Christian Padilla delivered a two-out single to plate Rooney giving the Beavers a 1-0 lead. Blackburn then took a 2-0 lead in the sixth as Jackson led off with a single, stole second, advanced to third on a Binder groundout then scored on an infield hit by Adam Holm who had two hits on the day.
Jackson cruised into the 9th before Wilmington threatened with two outs. The Quakers got a single and then a double to cut the lead to 2-1 but Jackson got the final out on a groundout to Padilla.
"Tyler threw more pitches than what we had planned, but he got in a groove in the late innings and he wanted to finish it," said Blackburn Coach Mike Neal. "He really gave the team a big boost today and his teammates played great defense behind him," added Neal.
In the other weekend action, Blackburn lost to #21 North Central on Friday and 11-4 to Wisconsin-Stout on Saturday.
Against North Central the Beavers hung in trailing just 4-2 in the 8th inning before North Central scored eight runs in the eighth to finish the contest. Then against UW-Stout, the Beavers walked ten half of which scored taking Blackburn out of the game. Platt, Jackson and Dunning each had a pair of hits in the Stout contest.
Blackburn will return to the field next weekend, weather permitting, to face Dominican University.