CLINTON, S.C. ? The Presbyterian College baseball
team continued its winning ways in Tuesday afternoon affairs, taking down USC
Upstate by a score of 9-4.
The Blue Hose improve to 5-18 on the season with the victory.
PC jumped
on top in its first at bat, scoring a run on Jared Combs' fielder's choice,
which plated Mack Hite.
After two flawless innings, Mitchell Odom gave up a solo shot to Jeff Medley,
tying the contest at 1-1. Four batters later, the Spartans took the lead on a
single by Kyle Simpson. A wild pitch gave USC Upstate a 3-1 advantage.
The Blue
Hose pulled within one in the bottom half of the third when Cory Lyda launched
a solo homer that soared over the right field fence. Head coach Elton Pollock's
team had two runners on, but Andrew Williams was unable to hit the full count
pitch out of the infield, ending the threat.
Each squad
tacked on a run in the fourth, with PC's coming when Lyda singled, driving in
Jesse Harmon. Trailing 4-3 in the fifth, Jared Combs reached on a
single and eventually scored on a groundout by Zac Rhinesmith.
Gabe Grammer then belted a triple into deep center field, scoring Andrew
Williams, putting the home team up 5-4.
With two
runners on board in the sixth, Combs belted a two-run double to the right
center field gap, making the score 7-4 in favor of the home team. Combs came
around to score on Rhinesmith's double down the left field line to make the
score 8-4.
PC
continued to add to its lead in the seventh. Kenny Bryant's deep fly to left
scored Gabe Grammer, who had reached on a single before moving to third on
walks to Jesse Harmon and Lyda.
Odom picked
up his first win of the season. He went seven innings while giving up four runs
on six hits. Only three of the runs were earned. Odom walked one and struck
two.
Andrew
Foushee came in to relieve Odom in the eighth frame, tossing two innings of
shutout relief for the Blue Hose. He faced eight batters, giving up just two
hits. He did not allow a base on balls.
For the
game, PC tallied nine runs on 11 hits while committing just one error. Lyda,
Combs, Rhinesmith and Grammer each picked up two hits on the day. Combs posted
three RBI while Rhinesmith and Lyda each drove home two.
The Blue
Hose return to action tomorrow when they play host to Kennesaw State in a 3 p.m., contest.
