GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Presbyterian College baseball team dropped its only midweek game on Tuesday, falling to Furman on the road in a 9-3 decision.
PC moves to 10-15-1 and next hosts Liberty in a Big South weekend series that begins on Friday at 3 p.m. at the PC Baseball Complex. Furman improves to 10-15.
Four Blue Hose each posted a hit today and Cam McRae (Darlington, S.C.) and Jacob Midkiff (Rock Hill, S.C.) each posted an RBI. Trey Hayes (Belton, S.C.) took the loss to move to 0-2 despite pitching well in 4.1 innings of relief, allowing two runs (only one earned) with four strikeouts.
PC tied the game in the third but six unanswered runs helped Furman to the victory.
After two quick outs in the opening inning, PC drew four straight walks—the final coming from McRae—to go up 1-0 without ever putting the ball in play. Furman took back the run with two away in the bottom of the frame, using an error to put a runner in position for a Greg Harrison RBI single. Two bases-loaded walks then put the Paladins up, 3-1. Hayes entered the inning for starter Billy Motroni (Goose Creek, S.C.) to strike out the final batter and limit the damage to a two-run deficit after the first inning.
PC drew two more walks to start the second before Furman pitcher Ryan Morse misplayed a Brandon Paul (Augusta, Ga.) sacrifice bunt to load the bases. A double play scored Weston Jackson (Greer, S.C.) and moved Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.) to third, who scored on a two-out RBI single by Midkiff.
A scoreless fourth inning passed before Furman struck for two in the fifth. An error and walk put one aboard and a single loaded the bases for Heath Burton. The Paladin rightfielder knocked a single to right that plated two and Furman took back the lead through five, 5-3.
In the bottom of the sixth, a two-out error allowed Furman to score a run and take a 6-3 lead.
The Paladins loaded the bases in the seventh to bring in new pitcher Paul Sanders (St. Simons Island, Ga.). The senior southpaw induced a groundball that nearly led to a double play but scored a run. A wild pitch pushed the runner to second with one away and a Hunter Burton two-run single made it 9-3 Furman.
The eighth inning started off well for PC with a leadoff Jackson single and a Zebedis walk, but a pop fly and a 5-3 double play ended the frame.
In the bottom of the ninth, pinch hitter Brandon Martin (Gray Court, S.C.) raked a one-out triple to left center. Tyler Weyenberg (Marietta, Ga.) then drew a walk but the Blue Hose could not convert for a run as Furman took the 9-3 final score.
Bennett Nalley (Greenville, S.C.) pitched a scoreless eighth inning of relief.
Furman's Heath Burton led the Paladins with a 2-for-4 day and three RBI. His twin brother Hunter added two hits and two RBI as well.
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Presbyterian College 102 000 000 - 3 4 3 (10-15-1)
Furman.............. 300 021 30X - 9 7 1 (10-15)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - MOTRONI, Billy; HAYES, Trey(1); DEAL, Hayden(6);
SANDERS, Paul(7); NALLEY, Bennett(8) and LONG, Derek. Furman - Ryan Morse; Tyler Wood(4);
Brant Masters(7); Alex Abrams(8); Greg Harrison(9) and Cameron Whitehead.
Win-Tyler Wood(2-0) Loss-HAYES, Trey(0-2) T-2:45 A-251
Weather: Low 50s, sunny, strong wind
DEAL, H. faced 3 batters in the 7th.
