CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College baseball team received one of Chandler Knox's (Columbia, S.C.) best career starts to pick up a win in game one, 2-1, before dropping the second game of Friday's home doubleheader against Gardner-Webb, 10-0.
PC ends the day at 18-34-1 overall and 8-18 in the Big South while Gardner-Webb sits at 24-28 and 11-14.
Knox took a no-hitter into the ninth inning in the first game before the Runnin' Bulldogs blanked the Blue Hose in the second game.
PC 2, Gardner-Webb 1 (Game 1)
A masterful pitching performance from senior Chandler Knox (Columbia, S.C.) in his final collegiate start lifted the Blue Hose over the Runnin' Bulldogs with a 2-1 complete game victory. Knox held a no-hitter with one away in the ninth inning before the visitors broke through.
The senior fanned six and allowed only two hits in the win, his third complete game of the season, to move to 7-7 on the year. His seven wins mark a new PC Division I record, breaking Steven Richardson's mark of six in 2011.
PC scored two runs in the fifth to take the opening game. Cam McRae (Darlington, S.C.) led off with a single and a Nate Chong (Duluth, Ga.) sacrifice moved the slugger to second. An RBI single from Glen Casaceli (Jupiter, Fla.) put the Blue Hose on the board with the game's first run. A Billy Motroni (Goose Creek, S.C.) sacrifice sent Casaceli to third for Derek Long (Alpharetta, Ga.), who ripped a single to left field for a 2-0 PC lead.
Knox continued to deal, holding the Runnin' Bulldogs hitless heading into the final inning. After a leadoff groundout, Ryan Hodge broke up the no-hitter with a chopper over Knox's head for the team's first hit. A Matt Simmons double following a flyout drove Hodge home to put Gardner-Webb on the board, but Knox secured a pop fly to center for the game's final out.
Knox retired the side in four different innings en route to the victory. Casaceli, Long and Jay Lizanich (Greer, S.C.) each posted two hits in the effort.
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Gardner-Webb........ 000 000 001 - 1 2 1 (23-28, 10-14)
Presbyterian College 000 020 00X - 2 8 1 (18-33-1, 8-17)
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Pitchers: Gardner-Webb - FRAUDIN, M. and SMITH, H.. Presbyterian College - KNOX, Chandler and
LONG, Derek.
Win-KNOX, Chandler(7-7) Loss-FRAUDIN, M.(4-6) T-1:44 A-100
Weather: Mid-70s, clear and bright
Gardner-Webb 10, PC 0 (Game 2)
The Runnin' Bulldogs scored three in the second inning, three in the fourth and four in the sixth in a decisive win. Ryan Hodge and JJ Nazzaro each posted two RBI while four others came up with a run apiece.
Erik Heiligenstadt pitched six shutout innings for the win while Aaron Lesiak (Greenville, S.C.) took the loss after 3.1 innings of work to fall to 1-7.
Weston Jackson led PC with two hits in the second game and seven other Blue Hose tallied one in the effort.
Michael Trebendis (Fayetteville, Ga.) threw three scoreless innings and Hayden Deal (Newton, N.C.) pitched a shutout ninth as well.
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Gardner-Webb........ 030 304 000 - 10 13 1 (24-28, 11-14)
Presbyterian College 000 000 000 - 0 9 2 (18-34-1, 8-18)
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Pitchers: Gardner-Webb - HEILIGENSTAD; GILMORE, S.(7); CANADY, W.(8); HILTON, B.(9) and .
Presbyterian College - LESIAK, Aaron; KEHNER, Brian(4); NALLEY, Bennett(6);
TREBENDIS, Michael(6); DEAL, Hayden(9) and .
Win-HEILIGENSTAD(5-6) Loss-LESIAK, Aaron(1-7) T-2:59 A-100
HR GWU - THACKER, C..
