AUBURN, Ala. – The Presbyterian College baseball team dropped the finale of its weekend series at Auburn on Sunday, falling in a 12-5 rubber match at Plainsman Park.
PC moves to 5-5-1 while Auburn improves to 6-5. The Blue Hose head to Port Charlotte, Fla., this week for the Snowbird Baseball Classic. The first game pits PC against Northeaster on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
The Blue Hose posted five runs over the first four innings but could not slow down an Auburn offense than scored in every inning but the eighth.
Cam McRae (Darlington, S.C.) led PC with two RBI on a 2-for-3 afternoon. The designated hitter was one of five Blue Hose with two hits on the day, including Brandon Martin (Gray Court, S.C.), Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.), Brandon Paul (Augusta, Ga.) and Jacob Midkiff (Rock Hill, S.C.).
Reliever Ethan Wortkoetter (Greer, S.C.) took the loss to move to 0-1. Aaron Lesiak (Mauldin, S.C.) pitched effectively to end the game, allowing only one unearned run off of zero hits in 2.1 innings of work.
PC drew first blood to start the game. A leadoff single from Martin preceded singles from Zebedis and McRae, whose hit to left field brought home Martin for a 1-0 lead. The Blue Hose chased starter Trey Wingenter in the frame but could not cash in for more than one.
Auburn responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame, all on a home run from Damek Tomscha. The Tiger finished the day with three hits and four RBI.
After the Tigers scored a run in the second, PC took it back in the top of the third. Jay Lizanich (Greer, S.C.) laced a single to center field and eventually scored after a pair of walks and a Midkiff single to third base.
Auburn scored another run in the third before PC tallied three in the top of the fourth. Facing two outs and Lizanich at first, Zebedis singled through the left side. A failed pickoff attempt allowed Lizanich to score and Zebedis to move to third, setting up RBI singles from McRae and Paul that made it a 5-4 game in favor of the visitors heading into the bottom of the fourth.
Unfortunately for the Blue Hose, PC would score no more while Auburn added seven more runs. The Tigers plated two apiece in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings en route to the win. Ryan Tella and Anfernee Grier each drove in two runs as the Tigers took the 12-5 win.
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Presbyterian College 101 300 000 - 5 13 4 (5-5-1)
Auburn.............. 311 222 10X - 12 14 1 (6-5)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - DEAL, Hayden; WORTKOETTER, Ethan(3); SANDERS, Paul(5);
LESIAK, Aaron(6) and LONG, Derek. Auburn - Wingenter; O'Neal, M.(1); Wade, J.(4);
Cochran-Gill(9) and Austin, B.; Logan, B..
Win-Wade, J.(1-0) Loss-WORTKOETTER, Ethan(0-1) T-3:06 A-3000
HR AU - Tomscha, D. (1).
Weather: 70, clear
WORTKOETTER faced 2 batters in the 5th.
