Mink’s Six RBIs Drive Eagles to Doubleheader Sweep of Panthers

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (3/1/24) – Powered by six RBIs over two games from freshman Gavin Mink, the Williams Baptist University baseball team swept Philander-Smith in a doubleheader on Friday by the final scores of 2-1 and 12-3.

Gavin Mink led the Eagles offense in the doubleheader, going a combined 5-for-9 with 6 RBIs and a home run.

Game one was a pitchers duel in every sense of the term.  Eagles starter Noah Willingham and Panthers starter Diego Resendez both threw the entire game.  

WBU took a slim 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning off of a Tate Isaacs RBI single.  Philander-Smith's response came in the top of the sixth to even the score at 1-1.

The game went into extra innings after both pitchers mowed down opposing batters.  Gavin Mink would finally end the affair with a lead-off solo shot in the bottom of the eighth inning to give WBU a 2-1 victory.

Noah Willingham went the distance on the mound, throwing 8.0 innings with nine strikeouts, giving up only one earned run on five hits for the ninth complete game of his career.

The Eagles offense found a rhythm in game two of the doubleheader.  After a scoreless first, WBU scored six runs in the bottom of the second inning, jump-started by a 2-RBI single from Gavin Mink. Luis Febres also got in on the action with an RBI triple later in the inning.

Williams added runs in the third and fourth innings to take an 8-0 lead on the Panthers through four.  Philander responded with two runs in the top of the fifth, but the offensive tear continued with a run in the bottom of the fifth and three more in the bottom of the sixth to take a 12-2 lead.

Skylar Morrison finished what he started in game two, allowing only three earned runs across 7.0 innings pitched to go with six strikeouts.

The Eagles will play another doubleheader against Philander-Smith tomorrow to round out the four game set.  First pitch is set for 11 AM at Shell Field.