MACON, Ga. — After early season struggles, the Macon Bacon just keep on winning.
Despite coming into their matchup against the Florence Flamingos on Wednesday with only two wins, the Bacon have found themselves on a bit of a win streak.
It didn’t come easy though. Both teams fought tooth and nail, but it was Macon who came out on top with a 5-4 win.
The Bacon fell behind 3-2 early, but surged back at the bottom of the third. Designated hitter Mike Morrison drove in second baseman Robbie Lane to cut the lead to two. Catcher David Stokely’s base hit brought in center fielder Kasen Wells, and an eventual walk, while Jaxon Milam was up to bat, gave the Bacon a lead.
Milam, at the bottom of the fifth inning, extended Macon’s lead further. The infielder from South Alabama nabbed an extra two RBI’s and the Bacon’s lead grew thanks to a Milam double. Stokely and Augusta’s Parker Ingram crossed the plate, giving the Bacon a 5-2 lead.
Milam’s three RBI’s were the first three he totaled all season, as he made his impact felt in Macon’s third win of the season. The win put Macon 3-9 on the season, as they're now tied with the HP Thomasville HiToms for last place in the west conference of the Coastal Plain League.
While the Flamingos rallied back and brought the game within one, Macon’s relievers kept Florence off the board the rest of the game. Georgia Southern’s Brady Pendley earned the save after 1.2 innings pitched. He only allowed one hit during that time and kept the Flamingos scoreless, while striking out four batters.
Georgia State’s Hunter Varnadoe started the game for the Bacon. While he allowed six hits and four runs during his five innings on the mound, his seven strikeouts helped lead Macon to victory. Middle Georgia’s Andrew Lowery and Valdosta State’s Payton Adkisson both made appearances as relievers, as Adkisson pitched two innings, and netted a strikeout.
Murray State’s Stokely and Jackson State’s Lenny Montesano each went a team-best 2-4 at the plate. Stokely’s batting average of .583 ranks towards the top of Macon's roster, as he’s made a major impact in the three games he’s played.
Montesano had a solid game in his first appearance with the Bacon. His batting average of .500 is tied with Dallas Baptist’s Wells, who has yet to experience a loss with the Bacon — his first game with the Bacon was their win over the HiToms.
Macon remains home for another game at Luther Williams Field on Friday at 7 p.m., as the Catawba Valley Stars travel in. The Valley Stars, a traveling college summer ball team, aren’t in the Coastal Plain League. While not an in-league rival, the Bacon plan to come to play, as they have an opportunity to extend their win streak to three games.