Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
by Kevin Buczek
TIGERVILLE, S.C.-North Greenville University rallied twice for a pair of walk-off wins against visiting Barton College to sweep a Conference Carolinas baseball doubleheader by scores of 4-3 and 7-6 (12 innings) on Saturday afternoon at Ashmore Field.
The Crusaders (16-26 Overall) moved into a tie for seventh place in the league standings with the Bulldogs (17-21) after sweeping the twin bill for matching league ledgers of 7-14.
Barton next visits No. 16 nationally ranked UNC Pembroke on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
GAME ONE: North Greenville 4, Barton 3
Barton led 3-2 going into NGU's last at-bat in the bottom of the seventh but five consecutive Crusaders reached base to rally for the walk-off single by senior Andrew Lawrence.
The hosts took the early 1-0 lead in the third on a single off the bat of senior Adam Taylor before the Bulldogs jumped ahead in the fourth. A double by senior Phillip Williams plated junior Collins Cuthrell for the tying run and a base hit by sophomore Avery Harper later scored Williams for the go-ahead tally.
Taylor drilled a solo home run in the fifth to knot the score for a second time but Barton regained the one-run lead with an unearned run in the sixth. Sophomore Mitchell Wheeler knocked in the Bulldogs final run with a double.
The final comeback by the Crusaders started with a one-out single by freshman Wheeler Smith and a walk by Taylor. Junior Taylor Hollifield knotted the scoreboard at 3-3 with a single that scored Wheeler. Sophomore Allen Staton drew another walk to load the bases before Lawrence came up with the game-ending hit.
Barton senior starter Kyle Norville was in line for the win allowing just two runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings of work. Norville had five strikeouts in the no-decision. Senior reliever Christian Oliver (5-4) was unable to earn his third save of the season taking the loss.
Both teams had seven hits. Junior shortstop Dillon Rudio led the Bulldogs with a pair of singles. Cuthrell scored twice.
GAME TWO: North Greenville 7, Barton 6 (12 innings)
Barton was within one out of securing a split of the double dip in the 11th but a solo home run by Smith sent the game into the next extra inning before a walk-off single by freshman Drew Lipscomb finished off a second straight NGU comeback.
Doubles by Williams and Harper gave the Bulldogs the 6-5 advantage in the top of the 11th before Smith leveled the score in the home half with his clutch homer.
Staton, who pitched a 1-2-3 top of the 12th, drew a one-out walk in the bottom half before moving into scoring position on a single by Lawrence and scoring on the poke by Lipscomb.
North Greenville took an early 2-0 lead in the first but Barton fought back with one run in the second and two more in the third to take its first lead of 3-2.
Senior Zac Crumpler drew a bases loaded, RBI walk to start the Bulldogs scoring but Crusader starting pitcher Javy Taylor temporarily kept the hosts in front by wiggling out of the jam by getting the next three outs without giving up another run in the second.
Williams then catapulted Barton in front with a two-run blast in the third. Williams' fifth home run of the season extended his current hit streak to nine games.
The Bulldogs cushion grew to three at 5-2 when sophomore Spiers Miller nailed his own two-run homer in the top of the sixth.
North Greenville was able to deadlock the score for the next five innings with three runs in the home half of the sixth. A sac fly by Foley George capped the rally that evened the score at 5-all before the extra-inning fireworks.
Barton sophomore Duncan Everett suffered the loss despite pitching 6 1/3 innings of effective relief for sophomore starter Brandon Warren. Everett (1-6) only allowed three runs (two earned) but those runs included the game-tying homer in the 11th and the walk-off tally in the 12th.
Williams and Harper each had two base knocks for the Bulldogs while Staton and Lawrence led all players with three hits for the Crusaders. Staton (3-2) was credit with the win tossing all three extra innings for North Greenville.
