GREENVILLE, S.C. – Presbyterian College baseball enjoyed an offensive explosion on Sunday at Fluor Field, rolling past the Furman Paladins in a 12-3 win.
PC improves to 6-2 while Furman falls to 2-4. The Blue Hose next play at Georgia on Tuesday in a 4 p.m. start.
The win snaps a four-game losing streak at Fluor Field and marks PC's only meeting against the Paladins.
Jay Lizanich (Greer, S.C.) went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Peter Johnson (Seattle, Wash.) matched three RBI as well while Ryan Hedrick (High Point, N.C.) drove in a pair on two hits.
The Blue Hose hit three home runs and drew 10 walks on the afternoon.
Aaron Lesiak (Greenville, S.C.) earned the win on 4.1 innings of work, allowing three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Five PC pitchers combined to blank Furman the rest of the way, highlighted by 1.2 perfect innings from Cole Norwood (Darlington, S.C.)
PC used the long ball en route to a 5-1 lead in the third inning.
PC appeared headed to the second with no score, but Furman's Chris Omhstede hit a solo home run with two away over the Green Monster to give the Paladins a 1-0 lead in the first on the game's first hit.
The Blue Hose answered with a home run of their own in the top of the second. PC made the most of a two-out single from Jacob Midkiff (Rock Hill, S.C.) as Ryan Hedrick smashed a payoff pitch over the Monster for a 2-1 PC lead.
Lizanich made two slick plays at short to hold Furman scoreless in the third before coming through at the plate in the bottom of the frame. With a runner on, the senior smacked his first dinger of his career over the Monster for a two-run shot before fellow Greer native Weston Jackson knocked a solo home run—his second of the season—over the Monster in the next at bat for a 5-1 PC lead.
PC threatened again and cashed in in the top of the fifth. The Blue Hose loaded the bases in the top of the fifth with only one out for Peter Johnson, who looked at a 3-1 pitch for an RBI walk. Unfortunately for PC, a 4-6-3 double play ended the inning with the lone run for a 6-1 lead.
Furman's Matt Towarnicky hit a leadoff triple to start the fifth and Sky Overton followed up with an RBI single. A Jake Jones double moved two runners into scoring position for Ohmstede, whose roller got through the left side on an error to cut the lead in half and bring the tying run to the plate. Another grounder allowed PC to get the runner at home for the first out with runners at the corners.
Hayden Deal (Newton, N.C.) entered and walked his only batter before Norwood took over with the bases loaded. The newcomer struck out his first batter before handling a comebacker and making a great shove to first base for the final out. PC headed into the top of the sixth with a 6-3 lead.
The Blue Hose struck in the top of the seventh. Jay Lizanich watched four straight balls and a pop fly brought up Cam McRae. The senior nearly cleared the Monster but missed a home run by five feet, instead going for a double that moved Lizanich to third. Peter Johnson took advantage, pulling a 1-2 pitch into the corner to plate a pair and give PC five runs of breathing room, 8-3.
Two wild pitches moved Johnson home for a 9-3 lead and cleared the bases. The pitching miscues helped Midkiff draw a walk before another free pass to Ryan Hedrick and a pitching change. AJ Priaulx (Warner Robins, Ga.) reached an error to load the bases with two outs, but PC could not add to its lead and went to the seventh-inning stretch ahead, 9-3.
PC turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the seventh inning. Lizanich and Jackson led off the top of the eighth with back-to-back hits for McRae, whose groundout brought in Lizanich for a 10-3 lead. Brandon Martin pinch-hit and followed by flaring a hit to left that plated Jackson for an 11-3 edge.
The Blue Hose did not stop there, loading the bases with one away in the top of the ninth for Lizanich. The senior delivered and knocked an RBI groundout to third for the game's final run, 12-3.
Russell Thompson (Alcolu, S.C.), Trey Hayes (Belton, S.C.) and Tanner Chock (Loris, S.C.) each pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Chock struck out two in the ninth to ice the victory.
Furman's Sky Overton went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Chris Ohmstede posted two RBI.
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Presbyterian College 023 010 321 - 12 13 1 (6-2)
Furman.............. 100 020 000 - 3 8 3 (2-4)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - LESIAK, Aaron; DEAL, Hayden(5); NORWOOD, Cole(5);
THOMPSON, Russell(7); HAYES, Trey(8); CHOCK, Tanner(9) and BURT, Patrick; RICHARDSON, TJ.
Furman - Ryan Morse; Ryan Griffith(5); Nolan Mullen(7); Jake Wolff(7); Ted Andrews(7);
Paul Barnhill(9) and Cameron Whitehead; Zack Greenwell.
Win-LESIAK, Aaron(1-0) Loss-Ryan Morse(0-2) T-3:08 A-351
HR PC - LIZANICH, Jay (1); JACKSON, Weston (2); HEDRICK, Ryan (1).
HR FUR - Chris Ohmstede (2).
Weather: Mid 50s, cloudy
DEAL, H. faced 1 batter in the 5th.
Wolff faced 2 batters in the 7th.
