BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. – The University of Tennessee Southern baseball team saw their season end with a heartbreaking 11-8 loss to Blue Mountain Christian on Saturday. The final game of the series was crucial for both squads to earn a berth to the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship next week.

Blue Mountain Christian scored three runs in the first to lead 3-0 after one.

UT Southern drew back even in the third. Cole Barnett blasted a three-run bomb scoring Blake Birdsong and Grayson Willis. After two innings both teams were tied at three.

In the third, UTS would sneak out in front. Rhett Birdsong hit a sacrifice fly to center driving in Landon Rogers. Josh Porter singled through the left side driving in Noah Junker. BMCC would add three runs to retake the lead 6-5 after three.

The Toppers would add one run in both the fifth and sixth to make the score 8-5 heading to the seventh.

In the seventh, the Firehawks got one back on Junker's ground ball that plated Rogers. UTS trailed 8-6.

In the eighth, Kevin McCarthy blasted a two-run shot scoring Porter. With an inning and a half left, both teams were tied at eight.

BMCC would rally for three runs in the eighth to seal their berth into the SSAC Championship.

Griffin Sahli got the start and tossed three innings. Sahli allowed five earned runs on four hits. Gerry Wayne Davis hurled three innings giving up two earned runs. Josh Simmons suffered the loss allowing two earned runs in one inning of work. Ridge Raper allowed one earned run in 0.1 innings. Tray Lacy recorded two outs in the eighth giving up one hit.

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