CLINTON, S.C. - The Presbyterian College baseball team received strong pitching and scored twice but ultimately fell in its weekend series opener to the Virginia Military Institute on Friday, 5-2.
PC moves to 14-8 overaall and 2-2 in the Big South, while VMI improves to 11-11-1 and 2-2 in conference play.
Nate Horton (Spartanburg, S.C.) tallied three hits in the game and Mack Hite (Abbeville, S.C.) drove in a run.
Buck Mosteller (Woodruff, S.C.) struck out four and allowed four runs—two earned—in seven innings of work but received his first loss of the year. His record now stands at 3-1 for the season.
Andrew Williams (Augusta, Ga.) also posted two hits.
VMI scored twice in the second to go ahead early but the Blue Hose answered in the bottom of the frame to cut VMI's lead in half. VMI pitcher Coby Cowgill struck Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.) with a pitch and the freshman took advantage of a wild pitch and passed ball en route to scoring the first run of the game for PC.
The Blue Hose scored their second run of the game in the bottom of the fifth after VMI scored a run in both the fourth and fifth innings. John Wagner (Olney, Md.) led off by lining a 1-1 pitch to center field for a single, bringing Williams to the plate. Williams worked the count to 3-2 and appeared to draw a walk, but a Cowgill balk brought Williams back and moved Wagner to second. A second balk on the next pitch moved Wagner to third. After Williams reached on a walk, Hite sent a fly ball to center to bring home Wagner via sacrifice.
PC then trailed 4-2, but could not find another run and the Keydets added one more in the eighth to take the win.
Chandler Knox (Columbia, S.C.) provided a solid inning and a third of relief in the eighth and ninth, striking out one and allowing only one hit.
The Blue Hose host the Keydets in the second game of the series on Saturday at 2 p.m.
