Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-A solo home run by sophomore Izzy Perez to lead off the top of the eighth broke a late tie to lead Pfeiffer University to a 5-3 win in Sunday's Conference Carolinas baseball series finale against host Barton College at Nixon Field.
The Bulldogs took advantage of a couple Falcon errors to rally and tie the game at 3-3 before Perez hit the game-winning homer well over the left field fence. Pfeiffer improved to 16-24 overall and 10-6 in the league while the Bulldogs dropped to 15-19 and 6-12.
Sophomore Mitchell Wheeler drew a one-out walk and classmate JT Bunce was then hit by a pitch to put the potential tying run in scoring position in the home half of the eighth before Pfeiffer brought in its closer. Senior Jeff Barkley wiggled the Falcons out of the jam with a strikeout and a groundout before retiring the Bulldogs in order in the ninth for his second save of the series. Barkley ranks second in the conference with six saves on the campaign.
Pfeiffer narrowly outhit Barton, 12-11, with sophomore Cole McGraw leading the Falcons going 3-for-4 with home run and walk. Junior Collins Cuthrell matched McGraw with three base hits for the Bulldogs.
An RBI-single by junior Kyle Hackney provided Pfeiffer with the initial 1-nil lead in the top of the fourth before the Bulldogs raced ahead with two unearned runs in the bottom of the frame. Freshman Nate Boykin led off with a single to center and junior Phillip Cotten followed with a bunt single. Boykin scored from second after sophomore Devin Dellinger laid down a sacrifice bunt and Pfeiffer committed a throwing error on the play. Cotten aggressively moved from first to third on the bunt and error but was injured sliding into third. Bunce then scored as a pinch runner on a double play groundout hit by freshman Ben Youngblood.
McGraw crushed his homer to right field in the fifth to knot the score at two runs apiece before the Falcons regained the lead in the sixth on a single by junior Kevin Price.
The Bulldogs evened the score for the final time in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Clay Martin ripped a double over the right fielder and then scored on an infield single by Cuthrell. Pfeiffer senior shortstop Aarin Sharpe made a nice diving play to field the ball but his rushed low throw to first allowed Cuthrell to sprint home.
Sophomore starter Brandon Warren went 5 2/3 innings in the no decision for the hosts. Warren allowed the first three runs on nine hits while ringing up seven strikeouts. Sophomore Duncan Everett (1-5) took the loss in 2 2/3 innings of relief work dishing up the go-ahead bomb to Perez. Everett did have two strikeouts.
Freshman reliever Ethan Greene (4-4) allowed the tying unearned run on two hits in his one inning of work – the bottom of the seventh – but was credited with the win with Pfeiffer regaining the lead moments later. Sophomore Josh Branch tossed the first six innings for the Falcons.
Boykin and Cotton each totaled two hits for the Bulldogs while Perez and Hackney did the same for the visitors.
Barton will try and get back into the win column with a non-conference home game against St. Andrews University on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
