Saturday,
March 29, 2003
BLUE
HOSE & BULLDOGS SPLIT TODAY’S SAC BASEBALL DOUBLEHEADER
Wingate
wins game #1 thriller 4-1 in 12 innings; PC comes from behind
for 4-3 win in game #2
CLINTON,
S.C. —
The Presbyterian College Blue Hose (15-18, 6-4 SAC) and the
Wingate University Bulldogs (19-14, 8-3 SAC) split games in
today’s South Atlantic Conference Baseball doubleheader at
the PC Baseball Complex. Wingate won a thrilling 4-1 decision
in 12 innings to open the doubleheader while PC
came-from-behind to win the second game 4-3.
WINGATE
4, PRESBYTERIAN 1 (12 innings)
The
first game of today’s doubleheader was a pitching duel
between Wingate’s junior righthander Josh
Flynn (Wilmington, N.C.) and PC’s senior righthander Richard
Barkley (Sumter, S.C.). Flynn pitched eight solid
innings allowing one earned run on three hits while striking
out nine Blue Hose batters. Barkley was equal to the task as
he pitched 10 impressive
innings allowing one unearned run on nine hits while striking
out a season-high 10 batters.
Wingate
took a 1-0 lead in the sixth inning as senior catcher John Spencer (Charlotte, N.C.) scored off a Blue Hose error. The
Blue Hose tied the game at 1-1 as junior centerfielder Kevin
White (Spartanburg, S.C.) hit a RBI-single in the seventh.
The
game stayed tied going into extra innings until the Bulldogs
put three runs on the scoreboard in the top of the 12th
inning. After PC intentionally walked a Bulldog batter to load
the bases, the Blue Hose surrendered two straight walks to
give Wingate a 3-1 lead. Junior outfielder Andrew Conner (Randleman, N.C.) hit a sacrifice fly to score Spencer
to put Wingate ahead 4-1. The Blue Hose went down in order in
the bottom of the inning to end the game.
Spencer keyed the Bulldog victory by scoring two runs while going one-for-five at the plate. PC was led at the plate by White who went one-for-five with an RBI. Flynn improved to 3-3 on the season with the victory while PC’s freshman relief pitcher Robert Cole (Savannah, Ga.) dropped to 1-3 on the season after going one and one-third innings allowing three earned runs on four hits.
PRESBYTERIAN
4, WINGATE 3
Presbyterian
College’s senior catcher Dusty
New (Abbeville, S.C.) hit a two-RBI single in the bottom
of the sixth inning to lift the Blue Hose to a 4-3 victory
over Wingate University in the second game. New capped a
three-run sixth inning after redshirt freshman third baseman Matt
Bodie (Aiken, S.C.) opened the scoring in the third
with a RBI-single to tie the game at 3-3.
Wingate
took an early 2-0 lead in the first highlighted by a
RBI-single from Spencer. PC cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom
of the inning on redshirt junior designated hitter Heath
McCutcheon’s (Newberry, S.C.) RBI-single. The
Bulldogs pushed the lead to 3-1 in the fifth inning as Conner
hit an RBI-scoring sacrifice fly. PC came alive in the sixth
behind the timely hitting of Bodie and New to complete the
comeback.
PC’s
senior pitcher Davis
Rice
(Clinton, S.C.) pitched seven solid innings to pick up the
win after allowing three earned runs on nine hits with six
strikeouts. Rice improves to 3-2 on the season. Wingate’s
starting pitcher, freshman Eric Brown (Hamlet, N.C.) took the loss to drop to 3-1 on the season
after going six innings allowing four earned runs on seven
hits while striking out three batters.
At
the plate, PC was led by senior leftfielder Tombo Hite (Abbeville, S.C.)
who went two-for-three while New was one-for-three with a pair
of RBI. Wingate was led at the plate by Spencer who went
two-for-three with one run scored and one RBI.
The Blue Hose and the Bulldogs will finish the three-game series tomorrow at the PC Baseball Complex with the first pitch scheduled for 1:00 pm.