ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Two home runs in the second and third innings helped the Presbyterian
College baseball team get its final series of 2011 off to a good start, holding
off UNC Asheville for a 4-3 win over the Bulldogs on Thursday afternoon at
McCormick Field.
PC improves to 22-32 overall and 7-18 in the Big South
Conference, tying UNC Asheville for ninth place in the league standings. UNC
Asheville falls to 15-34 overall and 7-18 in league play.
The Blue Hose took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of ninth and
UNC Asheville came as close as possible to tying the game, using three hits to
score a run and bring Chad White (Suwanee, Ga.) into the game on the mound. White walked one
to load the bases but secured a flyout to earn his first save of the year and
seal the win, 4-3.
The win gives the Blue Hose an 8-19 road record, tied for
the best in Division I era. PC's 2009 campaign saw the team go 8-25.
Kenny Bryant (Goose Creek, S.C.) went a game-high
three-for-four, a tally that included two doubles and a two-run home run. Andrew Williams
(Augusta, Ga.) picked up two hits in the game and Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill,
S.C.) and Tony Micklon (Sumter, S.C.) each drove in a run.
Zebedis also extended his hitting streak to a season-long 12
games with a single in the first inning, one away from tying Williams'
team-best stretch of 13 games from earlier this season.
Starting pitcher Buck Mosteller (Woodruff, S.C.) improved
his record to 4-6 with the win. Mosteller allowed only one earned run on two
overall, scattering four hits and striking out five over six and one-third
innings of work. Stewart Curry (Rock Hill, S.C.) also pitched two and one-third
innings and gave up one earned run on four hits.
UNC Asheville's Dillon Tabar took the loss to fall to 3-5.
In the field for PC, Gabe Grammer (Irmo, S.C.) started at
third base for the first time in his career and turned a nifty 5-4-3 double play in the eighth.
Asheville found the first run of the game, putting two on
and taking advantage of a fielding error to take a 1-0 lead after the opening
inning.
The Blue Hose responded quickly in the top of the second.
Micklon led off and took a strike before pulling a home run over the high left field wall, bringing the contest back to even, 1-1. The solo shot tied Micklon
with Zebedis for the team lead in home runs, with 11.
PC grabbed its first lead of the day in the top of the
third. Tabar's first pitch struck John Wagner (Olney, Md.) to put the second
baseman on and a Williams single placed runners at first and second with nobody
out. Mack Hite (Abbeville, S.C.) then laid down his 40th career
sacrifice on a bunt to third base to put the go-ahead run 90 feet away and
bring Zebedis to the plate.
Zebedis ripped a ball to deep left field but leftfielder
Patrick Koontz made a leaping grab to save a run as Wagner tagged up and
scored, making the score 2-1 in favor of PC.
Bryant stepped into the batter's box next with one on and
two away. The junior watched two balls go by before blasting the 2-0 offering
into the trees behind the centerfield wall—about 400 feet from home plate—for a
two-run home run and his third round-tripper of the season. The Blue Hose led
after the frame, 4-1.
Mosteller encountered some trouble in the bottom of the
sixth after walking two and hitting another to load the bases with two outs. With
the bases full, a pitch to Catlin Carter plunked the Bulldog and sent in a run
to cut the lead to two, 4-2. Mosteller recovered in the next at-bat, however,
getting C.A. Clayton to fly out to centerfield to end the inning and keep the
lead.
PC's defense played a key role in keeping the Bulldogs off
of the scoreboard, turning double plays in the seventh and eighth before the thrilling final inning.
The Blue Hose return to McCormick Field tomorrow for the
second game of the series at 3 p.m.
