FOREST CITY, N.C. – The Presbyterian College baseball team
held off a furious ninth-inning rally from the Wofford Terriers on Wednesday
night to grab its fourth straight win in a 4-3 victory at McNair Field in
Forest City, N.C.
PC (5-4) led Wofford (4-4) from the first inning and
withstood three runs in a tension-filled final frame en route to the win. The Blue
Hose open up Big South Conference play this weekend with a three game series
against High Point that begins on Friday at 2 p.m.
Brett Byrum (Rowlett, Texas) earned his first collegiate win
in a sparkling effort. The freshman scattered six hits over seven scoreless
innings, striking out three Terriers and walking one. Michael Ricchi (McKinney,
Texas) grabbed the save by shutting the door in the ninth inning.
Seven different Blue Hose registered a hit, led by Aaron
Preston's (Goose Creek, S.C.) two hits. Brandon Paul (Augusta, Ga.) ran his
hitting streak to nine games and drove in two runs.
PC led 4-0 after the fourth inning and took its advantage
into the ninth following eight scoreless innings from Byrum and Kelly Wright
(Myrtle Beach, S.C.). Three straight walks from Wright loaded the bases and
brought Michael Ricchi (McKinney, Texas) into the game. One Eric Brenk double
later, Wofford cut the lead in half and loaded the bases again soon after on a
bunt. The ball rolled inches from the foul line and James Plaisted reached
first to fill the bags full of Terriers.
Ricchi then struck out Stephen Cantrell to get one out.
Wofford scored in the next at-bat as an errant throw to home pulled catcher Robby
Swab (Kernersville, N.C.) off the plate.
Wofford then popped up an infield fly for out number two and
Ricchi stopped Wofford's chances in the next at-bat, striking out Alex
Paradowski looking to seal the win.
PC jumped on Wofford early, tagging starting pitcher DaeJoon
Park for three runs on four hits and an error in the opening inning. Two
straight singles from Brandon Martin (Gray Court, S.C.) and Preston led to a Paul single that brought them
both in.
Chong reached on a fielder's choice and eventually moved to
third on a steal and an error. Ryan Hagan (Sugar Hill, Ga.) sent the redshirt junior in on a bunt
single to give the Blue Hose a 3-0 lead.
Wofford threatened in the bottom of the second but came away
scoreless. A pair of singles put a runner on third before the Blue Hose took advantage
of a failed hit and run and caught the runner at home. A Terrier reached third
again on a wild pitch but Byrum recovered, forcing a popout to end the inning
unscathed.
PC loaded the bases without swinging in the top of the
fourth, using two hit-by-pitches and a walk to juice the bags with two outs for
Zebedis. Park's third pitch sailed behind the junior slugger to bring one in
and PC led, 4-0.
Tanner Hawley entered and managed to get the Terriers out of
the inning. PC then used a slick defensive play from Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.) in the bottom of
the frame. With a runner on first, Zebedis snagged a line drive and tagged the
runner for an inning-ending double play.
Byrum kept the Terriers off the board again in the fifth,
forcing a crucial groundout with a runner on third. The freshman ended his
night in similar fashion in the bottom of the seventh. With Terriers on second
and third, Byrum got Taylor Rozier to strike out swinging and used a groundout
to exit the game without allowing a run.
The two sides meet twice more this season, with the next meeting coming on March 13 at Wofford at 6 p.m.
Presbyterian College 4, Wofford College 3 (Feb 27, 2013 at
Forest City, NC)
-------------------------------------------------------
Presbyterian College 300 100 000 - 4
8 3 (5-4)
Wofford College..... 000 000 003 - 3
8 2 (4-4)
-------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Presbyterian College - BYRUM, Brett; WRIGHT, Kelly(8); RICCHI,
Michael(9) and LONG, Derek; SWAB, Robby. Wofford College - Park; Hawley(4); Leftwich(7);
Osborne(8); Eck(9) and Feisal; Ramsay.
Win-BYRUM, Brett(1-1) Save-RICCHI,
Michael(1) Loss-Park(0-1) T-2:48
A-103
Weather: 55 and mostly sunny, wind SW14
WRIGHT, K. faced 3 batters in the 9th.
