Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-After North Greenville University won the first game 3-1 with a two-run homer in the final frame, freshman Spiers Miller hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth of the second game to complete a late rally as host Barton College split the Conference Carolinas doubleheader at Nixon Field with a 9-3 win.
The Bulldogs finished the series at 13-25 overall and 5-14 in the conference. The Crusaders departed town at 25-16 and 14-7.
Barton next travels to Greeneville, Tenn., for a three-game series against Tusculum College on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Pioneers are currently ranked No. 3 nationally in the NCBWA Poll and top of the Southeast Region.
GAME ONE: North Greenville 3, Barton 1
A two-run homer by junior Adam Taylor with two outs in the top of the seventh broke a 1-1 tie and lifted North Greenville to the 3-1 victory in Saturday's opener.
Sophomore starter Ryan Woodring went the distance for the Crusaders in the winning effort. Woodring (7-2) held Barton to just one run on six hits. The six-foot righty rung up eight did not issue a walk.
Junior Kyle Norville (2-8) tossed his fifth complete game for the Bulldogs but suffered the loss after giving up the Taylor blast. The 6-foot-4 lefty scattered eight hits and walked three while fanning four.
Senior Derek Fulmer provided NGU with its first lead with an RBI-double to deep left field in the top of the fourth. Fulmer entered the month of April ranked third nationally in hits and increased his total to 63 base hits with three hits on the day.
Junior left fielder Clay Martin evened the score with a solo shot to right field in the home half of the fourth. Martin's equalizer was his first collegiate home run.
Doubles by freshman Spiers Miller in the fifth and junior Tyler Barrington in the seventh gave Barton a couple of chances late to score more but the Bulldogs were unable to come up with the timely hits.
Taylor paced the Crusaders going 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Senior Chris Rawlings supplied two of the Bulldogs six hits with a pair of singles.
GAME TWO: Barton 9, North Greenville 6
Miller smashed his three-run bomb in the eighth just after Barrington tied up the game with an infield single as Barton rallied from a three run deficit with six runs in the final two innings to avoid the series sweep.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first. Rawlings drove in the first run with a double; junior Phillip Williams plated Rawlings with a single; and senior Ryan Daughtry knocked in the final run with a fielder's choice RBI.
North Greenville leveled play with three runs in the third that was aided by a Barton error that led to one unearned run. The Crusaders then took the lead on a single by Taylor in the fourth. Senior Dylan Fulk tacked on the visitors final two runs with a round-tripper in the sixth.
Sophomore Collins Cuthrell's team leading seventh home run of the season, a two-run rocket over the left-center field fence, pulled the Bulldogs to within one in the bottom of the seventh.
Barton completed the comeback with four runs in the eighth. Daughtry started the rally with a leadoff triple off the fence in left field. Barrington eventually knocked in the tying run with a single that was fielded by the second baseman but then beat the pitcher in a race to first base. Miller then followed with his first home run in a Royal Blue and White uniform.
Williams tossed the first five innings before freshman Brandon Warren hurled the final four frames. Warren (3-2) gave up the two-run jack by Fulk in the sixth before setting down to retire his final 11 batters in order. Warren recorded four strikeouts and did not surrender a base on balls.
Barton outhit North Greenville 11-8 with Miller pacing the Bulldogs going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Cuthrell followed with two base knocks.
Fulk and Taylor accounted for half of the Crusader hits with two each.
