CLINTON, S.C. - Kenny Bryant (Goose Creek, S.C.) delivered a two-run, walkoff single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as the Presbyterian College baseball team took the back end of a Sunday doubleheader Virginia Military Insitute, 5-4. The Blue Hose fell in the first game, 8-4.
PC (15-9, 3-3 in the Big South) scored three runs in the final frame against VMI (13-11-1, 3-3) for the win.
Bryant racked up four hits in seven at-bats in the doubleheader, leading the team with two RBI and two walks. Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.) also posted four hits and Andrew Williams (Augusta, Ga.) and Mack Hite (Abbeville, S.C.) added three hits each as well. The PC defense turned three double plays on the day, doubling up on Keydets from both the outfield and infield.
After dropping the first game, 8-4, VMI entered the ninth inning with a 4-2 lead and stood three outs away from sweeping the weekend series.
The bottom of the inning began with Ryan Burt (Cayce, S.C.) pinch hitting to lead off, and the junior drew a walk on a full count. Aaron Killingsworth (Atlanta, Ga.) replaced Burt as a pinch-runner and moved to second on a Williams groundout. Killingsworth then sped home from second after Hite looped a single to center field, drawing the Blue Hose within one.
Brandon Paul (Augusta, Ga.) came to the plate for Gabe Grammer (Irmo, S.C.) and lined the first pitch he saw to right field for a double, moving Hite to third and putting the winning run in scoring position as Nate Chong (Duluth, Ga.) pinch ran for Paul. With first base open, the Keydets intentionally walked Zebedis to load the bases. After Tony Micklon (Sumter, S.C.) popped up to shallow center, Bryant stepped to the plate with two outs and a chance to play the hero.
Bryant worked the count full against VMI pitcher Sam Roberts, who had moved to the mound from shortstop to begin the inning. Bryant fouled off the payoff pitch but lined Robert's next offering through the right side of the infield, bringing Hite and Chong home to a celebrating Blue Hose team sprinting from the dugout.
The Blue Hose take a break from conference play when they head north to Spartanburg on Wednesday to face the Wofford Terriers.
Game One
PC began the day on a high note with a one-run first inning to take a lead against the Keydets. The Blue Hose took advantage of two VMI errors and a Williams leadoff single to go ahead early in the opener, 1-0.
VMI responded with three runs in the second and another in the third, only to see PC narrow the gap by scoring twice in the third. Hite walked to first and advanced a batter later as Gabe Grammer (Irmo, S.C.) reached on catcher's interference. Hite came home on Zebedis' double down the left field line, cutting the VMI lead in half, 4-2. Micklon then laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Grammer and pull within one, 4-3.
Unfortunately for the Blue Hose, VMI posted one run in the fifth and two in the sixth, beefing up its lead to 6-3. PC began to claw back, scoring once in the seventh as Nate Horton (Spartanburg, S.C.) drove Micklon in from second on a 1-0 single through the right side, but the scoring would stop there for the home side.
VMI added a final run in the eighth to come away with the 8-4 win and secure the series victory.
Game Two
The second game began in similar fashion to the first, as PC took a two-run lead in the second inning after holding VMI off of the scoreboard. Bryant lined a 2-1 pitch down the right field line and into the corner, legging it out around the bases for a leadoff triple. Aaron Preston (Goose Creek, S.C.) sent another ball to right field for two bases and an RBI and came home three batters later thanks to a Tyler Hill (Goose Creek, S.C.) single.
VMI took the two runs back in the next inning, tying the game at 2-2. The teams battled through the middle innings as each side looked for a lead in four scoreless frames before the Keydets tagged starter Jordan Pace (Charleston, S.C.) for two runs in the top of the eighth. Freshman Chandler Knox (Columbia, S.C.) replaced the lefthander and earned his third win of the season for his no-hit inning of work in the ninth.
Bryant then provided the heroics in the bottom of the ninth to cap the rally and hand PC the 5-4 win.
