CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College baseball team sent its five seniors off with a 4-1 home victory over Gardner-Webb on Saturday afternoon, clinching the series in the season finale at the PC Baseball Complex.
PC ends the season at 19-34-1 overall and 9-18 in Big South Conference play by clinching the series. Gardner-Webb falls to 24-29 and 11-15 in League action.
The Blue Hose scored three runs in the eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie for the win. Billy Motroni (Goose Creek, S.C.) raked a leadoff single to right center before Jay Lizanich (Greer, S.C.) moved him over on a sacrifice. Gardner-Webb changed pitchers but Brandon Paul (Augusta, Ga.) hit a full-count double that scored Motroni for a 2-1 lead.
Weston Jackson (Greer, S.C.) singled next and took second to score Paul before Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.) doubled to left and gave PC a 4-1 lead.
Trey Hayes (Belton, S.C.) entered the game in the top of the eighth and closed out Gardner-Webb in the ninth to earn his first career win and improve to 1-4.
Zebedis, in his final collegiate game, tied Jacob Midkiff (Rock Hill, S.C.) with a team-high two hits on the day. Both players drove in a run along with Jackson and Paul.
PC took the game's first lead with a run in the fifth. A Zebedis leadoff double set up a two-out single from Midkiff to put the Blue Hose in front first, 1-0.
Gardner-Webb evened the game immediately after, using a Matt Simmons RBI single for a 1-1 tie.
Beau Dees (Blenheim, S.C.) made his first appearance since April 25, throwing four innings of two-hit, shutout ball in the start. Ethan Wortkoetter (Greer, S.C.) also threw 3.1 innings and allowed one run on three hits.
PC did not commit an error on the day. Prior to the game, the team held a ceremony honoring seniors Nate Chong (Duluth, Ga.), Chandler Knox (Columbia, S.C.), Paul Sanders (St. Simons Island, Ga.), Paul and Zebedis.
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Gardner-Webb........ 000 001 000 - 1 6 1 (24-29, 11-15)
Presbyterian College 000 010 03X - 4 8 0 (19-34-1, 9-18)
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Pitchers: Gardner-Webb - BARNETT, A.; WARNER, M.(6); HAYMES, B.(8) and . Presbyterian College -
DEES, Beau; WORTKOETTER, Ethan(5); HAYES, Trey(8) and .
Win-HAYES, Trey(1-4) Loss-WARNER, M.(1-4) T-2:05 A-105
Weather: 69deg; Fair; Wind-10mph WSW
