Saturday, March 10, 2007

Mars Hill Takes Two From PC

CLINTON, S.C. – The PC baseball team dropped a pair of conference games Saturday afternoon to Mars Hill College 8-4, 7-2. The two losses drop the Blue Hose record to 9-20 and 2-9 in the South Atlantic Conference. The Lions improve to 6-18 on the year and 2-8 in league play.

PC will look to bounce back in tomorrow afternoon’s series finale with Mars Hill scheduled for 1 p.m.

Game 1

Mars Hill used big innings in the second and seventh to put away the Blue Hose in game one. The Lions put four runs on the board in the second on three hits and two errors off of Presbyterian starter Daniel Hill. Austin Boehme, Jonathan Helsabeck, and Clarke Rollins all drove in a run for Mars Hill in the inning.

Rollins picked up his second RBI as a part of the Lions three-run seventh inning to increase the lead to 7-0.

PC’s bats came alive in the bottom of the eighth down 8-0 as they rallied to put up four runs. The inning was highlighted by Robbie Anders two-run single down the right field line that drove in Bobby Holmes and Kyle Craven. Jesse Harmon brought in the final run of the game on a fielder’s choice.

Anders had a career day finishing a perfect 4-4 at the dish. Sophomore Cory Lyda also reached base four times via a pair of base hits and two walks, he also scored a run in the seventh inning on a passed ball.

Blue Hose starter Daniel Hill (1-2) was pegged with the loss after allowing seven runs only two of which were earned on only six hits in 6 and 1/3 innings of work. Mars Hill’s Nick Tracy garnered his second win of the season after going 8 innings allowing and four runs (two earned) and fanning eight.

Game 2

PC starter Mitchell Odom and Mars Hill’s Justin Hall kept batters at bay for most of the game, each allowing only two hits through five innings of work. However, one of the Lions’ hits was a solo home run by Marc Wassum to lead off the second inning and give Mars Hill a 1-0 lead.

Mars Hill would score three runs in the final two innings to claim their second conference victory on the day. First baseman Danny Miller drove in two of his three runs in the sixth, and finished the contest with two hits to pace Mars Hill.

The Blue Hose again showed life late in the game scoring two runs in their last at bat. Back-to-back singles by Kyle Craven and Robert Anders and a sacrifice bunt by Jesse Harmon set the table for Casey Carlson’s triple off the right field fence. The Blue Hose rally would end there however, as Carlson was left stranded at third.

Craven finished with a pair of hits for PC. He and the Lion’s Dennis Miller were the only players from either side to record a multi-hit game. Each team mustered only six hits apiece but Presbyterian committed four errors while Mars Hill played seven innings of error-free ball.

Justin Hill improved to 2-1 on the season after tossing a complete game allowing only two runs and striking out 11 batters. Mitchell Odom is still looking for his first win of the season after taking the loss for the Blue Hose. He went five innings surrendering three runs on just three hits while striking out seven.

.                           Box Score Game 1          Box Score Game 2