Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Freshman outfielder Tyler Garrett drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth inning of Wednesday's nightcap to lift the Barton College baseball team to a walk-off 3-2 extra-inning win. Lenoir-Rhyne University rallied for a 4-2 victory in the first game as the two teams split a non-conference doubleheader at the Asheboro Copperheads' McCrary Park for a third consecutive season.
Barton begins its season 1-1 overall and Lenoir-Rhyne remained .500 at 2-2. The Bulldogs will next travel to Savannah, Ga., for a three-game weekend series at Armstrong Atlantic State University. BC will open up against AASU with a Saturday twin bill at 11 a.m., and will conclude the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Pirates advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament last year and starts 2014 preseason Southeast Region ranked 10th by the NCBWA.
The Royal Blue and White had eight players collect the squad's 11 total hits. Three Bulldogs reached base four times including senior Collins Cuthrell (2 hits, 2 walks), senior Dillon Rudio (4 walks) and sophomore Ben Youngblood (1 hit, 3 walks).
GAME ONE: Lenoir-Rhyne 4, Barton 2
The Bears scored the final four runs to rally for the 4-2 triumph that included a go-ahead solo home run by senior Brandon Walker to lead off the bottom of the sixth.
Barton did not get a hit until Cuthrell poked a two-out single to left in the top of the fifth but did hold the initial 2-nil lead with a pair of runs in the third on three walks, an error and a balk. Senior Phillip Cotten and Rudio both drew bases on balls and scored in the Bulldogs scoring sequence.
A pair of run-producing doubles off the bats of senior Frank Poerio and Walker knotted the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the third. Walker went 3 for 3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Junior Snooter Merryman had the Bulldogs second and final hit with two outs in the top of the sixth. Youngblood then walked for a second time to push Merryman into scoring position but L-R junior reliever Nick Flachofsky entered the game and got the Bears out of the jam with a strikeout.
After Walker's solo blast over the left-center field fence, L-R was granted an insurance run on a Barton fielding error.
Flachofsky (1-0) set the Bulldogs down in order in the top of the seventh to end the game and pick up his first win.
Junior transfer Kyle Rufer went four innings in his first Barton start and allowed two runs on four hits while recording three strikeouts. Fellow junior transfer Mike Brienza (0-1) pitched the final two innings but took the loss allowing two runs (one earned) over that span.
GAME TWO: Barton 3, Lenoir-Rhyne 2 (8 innings)
Merryman started the Bulldogs rally in the bottom of the eight with a one-out double before being replaced by sophomore pinch runner Bobby Jones. Cotten and Youngblood then drew walks around a laser line-out by sophomore Nathan Boykin to load the bases. With two outs and a full count, Garrett was then able to foul off a tough fastball before holding off on the ensuing pitch that was a bit high and outside to send Jones home for the game-winning run.
Barton once again constructed a 2-0 advantage only to watch it disappear. Boykin put the Bulldogs on the board with an RBI-single in the second that plated Merryman. An inning later freshman Andrew Webster doubled up BC's lead with a sacrifice fly to right that allowed Rudio to tag up from third base.
Junior starter Duncan Everett tossed five scoreless innings before being replaced but was not awarded the win after the Bears rallied on Barton's bullpen. Everett only surrendered three hits and one walk in the no decision.
Senior designated hitter Mark Giles evened the score with a two-run homer to right in the top of the sixth
Both squads had a couple other chances to score including Barton squandering a leadoff double by Cotten in the sixth and Lenoir-Rhyne doing the same in the eighth on a leadoff double by junior Brantley Rumford.
Junior transfer Zach Breen (1-0) took over on the mound for Barton after the Giles home run and he retired eight of 10 Bears batters faced to earn the win. Breen tallied three K's in his 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.
Webster was the only Bulldog with two hits – a pair of singles – to go along with his sac fly.
