The Oglethorpe baseball team swept Saturday's doubleheader from the visiting Sewanee Tigers, taking Game 1 by a 6-2 scoreline and coming back with a run in the seventh inning (of a scheduled seven) in Game 2 after Sewanee had taken a 5-4 lead and winning the game, 6-5, with a walk-off single from junior third baseman Austin Ferlita in the ninth. The two Senior Day victories improved the Stormy Petrels to 17-16 on the season overall and 8-9 in SAA play.

Senior twirler Justin Thigpen made quick work of the Tigers in the top half of the ninth, leading to the Oglethorpe heroics in the bottom half with the score still tied 5-5. Sophomore designated hitter Adrian Celata led off the ninth with a walk, then reached second when junior right fielder Brandon Fish was hit by a pitch. A sacrifice attempt by freshman first baseman Andrew Mink succeeded in getting Celata to third base with one out, bringing Ferlita to the plate. He ripped a ball over the center fielder's head and up against the fence, scoring Celata from third on what officially went as an RBI single to win the game, 6-5. 

The Petrels led the contest 4-0 headed to the seventh and final inning. Senior left-hander Kyle Mitchell stayed in to pitch the seventh, trying for his fourth career shutout, but he had to be lifted for junior right-hander Sam Traxler after Sewanee loaded the bases and brought two runners to the plate. A pair of wild pitches tied the game at 4-4 and an error allowed Sewanee to take a 5-4 lead headed to the bottom half of the inning.

However, the Petrels answered when they needed it most. With one out, sophomore pinch hitter Corey Hamm singled to right field. Senior Alex Atteberry pinch ran for him and reached second on a balk, then scored with two outs on a rocket double to the left-center gap by Fish, tying the game 5-5. 

The game had been relatively quiet up until the seventh. The Petrels scored twice in the second on a pair of Sewanee errors, then added additional runs in the fifth and sixth, the first on a ground-rule double by Fish and the second on an RBI single by senior shortstop Spencer Transue. 

Thigpen picked up the win in relief, allowing a single hit in his inning of work. He improved to 4-1 on the season. Mitchell went 6 2/3 innings and allowed four earned runs on eight hits. 

Fish went 3 for 4 in Game 2 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored while sophomore left fielder Jarvis Miller went 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored. 

The first game featured an excellent start by right-hander Matt Davis, who went 8 1/3 innings allowing just two runs on five hits. He walked four and struck out eight, throwing 125 pitches. 

The Petrels' big blow came in the seventh inning. Up 2-0 entering the frame, they loaded the bases with nobody out on three straight singles by Transue, sophomore center fielder Britton Araujo, and Miller. Celata came to the plate and proceeded to hit a towering home run into the teeth of a strong wind in left field. The grand slam gave the Petrels a 6-0 lead and more-or-less put the game out of reach.

The Tigers scored a couple in the ninth, but Traxler came in for the final two outs and got the save for his efforts, his second of the season. 

An RBI infield single by Mink and a solo home run by senior second baseman Keith Dearden provided Oglethorpe their two early runs.

Celata went 3 for 4 with the grand slam and a double in Game 1, while Araujo went 4 for 5 with a run scored.

Between games, the Petrels honored their 11 seniors with Senior Day festivities. Alex Atteberry, Spencer Transue, Keith Dearden, Frankie Vascimini, Kolin Zimmer, Joe Marco, Justin Thigpen, Casey Innis, James Owen, Kyle Mitchell and Sam Franklin all earned recognition for their contributions to the program.

"This was a good way for us to celebrate Senior Day," said Oglethorpe head coach Dan Giordano. "I can't thank those 11 guys enough for what they've done for the program these last four years. They have made such an impact on this program on and off the field. They have put in the work to become better players and men. Hopefully, we can come out tomorrow and finish off the sweep."

The Petrels will take on Sewanee in the series' final game Sunday at 1 p.m. from Anderson Field. After that, they'll hit the road for a couple of midweek non-conference games against Piedmont and No. 7 Emory before heading to Memphis, Tennesse, for their final SAA series of the season against Rhodes.