CLINTON, S.C. ? In a cold and rainy Saturday
afternoon contest, the Presbyterian College baseball team fought hard but was
unable to win its home opener, falling by a 14-4 score to VMI.
The Blue Hose now stand at 2-11 on the season and are 0-4 in the Big South Conference.
PC had six
student-athletes garner a base knock in the contest. Trailing 1-0 in the first inning, Mack Hite earned
a walk with one out. Then, with two away, Kenny Bryant reached on a fielding
error to put runners on first and third.
Senior Jared Combs then belted a double to right field, scoring two and taking
a 2-1 advantage into the second frame.
In the second, VMI plated six runs on eight hits. The big hit of the stanza was
Graham Sullivan's three-run homer with one out.
PC
threatened in the bottom half of the frame. With two outs, Zac Rhinesmith and
Cory Lyda earned back-to-back walks. However, Hite struck out to end the
inning.
The Blue Hose would not get anyone on base in the third and fourth innings, but
Chris Powell got on track and did not allow any Keydets to cross home in the
third or fourth innings either.
In the
fifth, VMI tacked on five runs on five hits, chasing Powell from the game
without getting an out in the inning. Mitchell Odom came in the contest and
gave up two runs in the fifth, but the Blue Hose escaped without any more
damage being done.
The Keydets added a run in the seventh and ninth, putting the score at 14-2.
However, head coach Elton Pollock's team continued to fight in its last at bat.
With the bases loaded, Hite was hit by a pitch, forcing in Drew Wingo, who had
reached earlier on a fielder's choice. Rookie Gabe Grammer then walked, forcing
in Matt Hill, who had singled to center earlier in the frame.
Powell took
the loss for PC after giving up 10 runs on 12 hits. He struck out two. Odom
tossed 3.2 innings of work while striking out three.
Travis Smink earned the win for VMI after throwing seven innings of work while
giving up just two runs in the first inning.
The teams will play a doubleheader Sunday beginning at 12 p.m.
