CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College baseball team (10-13, Big South: 2-2) took down the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (11-12, Big South: 1-3) in the first game of their conference series at the PC Baseball Complex on Friday night.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• A quiet first frame brought us to the bottom of the second inning, when Presbyterian got on the board first. Jackson Hugus led off the inning with a single to center field before Matthew Rollison took his spot on a fielder's choice. Ryan Ouzts then drew a walk, setting the stage for Brody Linker's RBI single through the left side to plate Rollison.
• A walk from Andrew Albertus opened the bottom of the third inning before Trey Fenderson knocked one to left center field to put runners on first and second. Jake Randolph took advantage of this, slapping a hit through the left side to score Albertus.
• A Gardner-Webb solo home run put them on the board in the top of the fourth, but the Blue Hose responded dominantly in the bottom of the inning. An error from the opponents allowed Ouzts to reach first base before Linker's base hit brought him to third. Eli Lazio then reached on a fielder's choice while Ouzts was called out at the plate. With runners on first and second, Albertus hit a single through the left side which allowed Lazio to move to second and Linker to cross home plate. Aaron Hobson's well-placed bunt towards the third baseman loaded the bases before Randolph made his way to the batter's box. He was able to get one past the second baseman, sending Hobson to third while plating Albertus and Lazio. Dewberry would take the last RBI of the inning, bringing Hobson in for PC's fourth run of the frame.
• With the Blue Hose leading 4-1, the Runnin' Bulldogs answered in the top of the fifth inning. They scored four runs, behind a three-run bomb from Lawson Knight, cutting Presby's lead to 6-5.
• Base hits from Linker, Albertus, and Hobson in the bottom of the inning brought the Blue Hose's lead to 7-5.
• With Tyrell Williams on the bump, Presbyterian's defense was able to hold Gardner-Webb scoreless throughout the remainder of the night, giving the Blue Hose a 7-5 win in their first meeting with the Runnin' Bulldogs.

 
NOTABLES

• Randolph, Albertus, Hobson, and Linker each totaled three hits on the night.
• Rollison's double in the sixth inning marked his fifth of the year.
• Hobson batted perfectly, going 3-for-3 at the plate.
• Kyle Mueller picked up his second win of the season with 5.0 innings of work.
• Williams pitched for 3.2 relief innings, punching out three batters while not giving up a single hit or run.
• Jacob Fields grabbed his fourth save of the season.

 
UP NEXT
The Blue Hose are back on the field tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. for game two of their series with Gardner-Webb. Wear pink to tomorrow's game to show your support in the fight against breast cancer.