CLINTON, S.C. - Presbyterian College earned its first Division I win
over Gardner-Webb on Friday afternoon, 11-8 to open a three-game series. Due to possible inclement weather on Sunday,
the finale has been rescheduled to be the back-end of a Saturday doubleheader
starting at 11:30 a.m. PC improves to
7-14 and 1-0 in the league while Gardner-Webb falls to 9-12 and 0-1 in the Big
South.
The 1-0 Big South mark is PC's first
winning record in conference play since joining the league.
The Bulldogs struck first in the game
with a run in the second, two more in the third and one in the fourth to take a
4-0 lead while retiring the first eight Blue Hose batters in order.
Matt Hill earned the first PC hit of the
game in the bottom of the third, it was one of his two hits in the game. Hill looked poised to score PC's opening run
until he was cut down, 7-2 at the plate for the final out of the frame.
The Blue Hose got off the mark in the
fifth when Gabe Grammer's triple scored Ryan Morris. Three more runs would score in the inning as
PC tied the game up going into the sixth inning.
The Bulldogs added two more runs in the
sixth which meant the end for senior starting pitcher Jesse Harmon. The righty worked five and a third innings
and allowed 13 hits and six runs, all earned.
He struck out three in the outing and made way for Chris Powell.
In the bottom of the sixth, PC answered
when Aaron Preston stroked his third home run of the season. The three-run job gave PC a 7-6 lead that
would not be relinquished.
After Powell blanked GWU in the seventh,
the Blue Hose added two more runs after the stretch. Kenny Bryant's bases loaded walk plated Mack
Hite and Morris claimed an RBI with a sacrifice fly to center which brought
Nate Horton home and made the score 9-6.
GWU clawed back a run in the eighth by
taking advantage of PC's lone fielding error to cut the margin to 9-7.
Tony Micklon pushed two insurance runs home
with one out in the eighth. His bases
loaded single scored Hill and Harmon.
Gardner-Webb scored once in the ninth,
but it wasn't enough as PC took the 11-8 win.
Four Blue Hose batters claimed two hits
while four more added two runs each. Top
RBI honors go to Preston with four.
The series concludes on Saturday morning
with an 11:30 a.m. doubleheader at the PC Baseball Complex. The Saturday twin-bill will also be broadcast
on the Big South Network.
