Box Score
by John Hackney
ASHEBORO, N.C.-Shepard erupted for 13 runs in the middle innings Saturday on its way to a 15-8 NCAA DII baseball conquest of Barton College at McCrary Park.
The loss left the Bulldogs 3-4 overall while Shepard evened its record at 1-1.
Reigning National DII Player of the Week Kyle Norville (1-1) was tagged with the loss in 3 2/3 innings of mound work. He yielded nine runs on five hits, fanned five and walked six. Brandon Warren, Christian Oliver, Zach Beachem and Will Flynn also pitched for the Bulldogs. Starter T. Appleby (1-0) was the starting and winning pitcher. He went five full innings, scattered seven hits and allowed two earned runs.
Barton took a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run single by Phillip Williams and made it 3-0 in the top of the fourth when Michael DelSardo singled and eventually scored on a single by Tyler Barrington.
However, Shepard went wild in the fourth, scoring nine runs on four hits, five walks and a hit batter. Minnich and Messina singled home two apiece and Hutter doubled home two in the big rally. Shepard added four more runs in the fifth for a 13-4 lead. The margin grew to 15-5 before Barton tallied three runs in the top of the ninth. Barrington had the big hit, a two-run double to center field, in the Bulldogs' final rally.
Lott and Hutter logged two hits each for the winners. Barrington batted 3-for-6 for the Bulldogs and DelSardo was 3-for-4. Zac Crumpler and Williams added two hits apiece.
