Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Cory Guinn
WILSON, N.C. – In games seven and eight of a current 17-game home stand, the Barton College baseball team split a doubleheader with visiting Shippensburg University. The Raiders took game one 6-5 before the Bulldogs earned a 10-9 victory in game two at Nixon Field.
The Bulldogs improve their overall record to 6-3 while the Raiders moved their record to 2-3 overall after the two-game split.
Game One: Shippensburg 6 Barton 5
The Raiders offense was firing on all cylinders from the first pitch as Shippensburg placed its first two batters on base before second baseman Jimmy Spanos drove in a run with an RBI single to right center for a 1-0 lead. Centerfielder Cody Ezolt follow with a three-run home run to left field to build the Shippensburg lead to 4-0 before recording an out in the opening inning.
Following a triple, Shippensburg's Austin Allison drove in the fifth run of the game on a sacrifice fly to centerfield. The Raiders final run of the inning came on an RBI single from left fielder Grant Hoover as Shippensburg lead 6-0 after one half inning of play.
The second and third innings went by quietly before Barton struck with a solo home run over the left field fence from the bat of redshirt-junior Matthew Berry in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Junior outfielder Nick McKinney led off the fifth inning with a bang, blasting a solo shot over the left field fence to cut the Shippensburg deficit to 6-2 in the game.
After a strikeout, Tyler Garrett reached on an error by the Raiders' second baseman before scoring on a two-run home run from redshirt-senior Mitchell Wheeler, his first of the year. Berry would add another run for Barton with his second home run of the game in the ensuing at-bat for a 6-5 Shippensburg lead.
Shippensburg closer Marcus Shippey was able to sit down six straight Bulldogs to earn the save and secure the one-run victory for the Raiders.
Berry finished the game 2-for-3 with two home runs, two RBI and two runs scored, as McKinney also finished 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, a run scored and two RBI. Wheeler was 2-for-4 from the plate with a home run and two RBI.
Senior left-hander Kyle Rufer (1-1) suffered his first loss of the season after allowing six runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks in five innings on the mound. Fellow senior Brandon Warren was perfect in the final two innings of the game, striking out three batters in his third appearance of the season.
Game Two: Barton 10 Shippensburg 9
Momentum carried over to the second game for the Raiders as they scored six runs over the game's first five innings, highlighted by back-to-back solo home runs in the third inning and a two-run home run by Spanos in the top of the fifth.
However, the fifth inning would prove to be frame full of offense as Barton put four runs on the board on just three hits in the bottom half.
McKinney reached first after being hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before a double by Andrew Webster and a walk to Avery Harper loaded the bases.
With one out on the board following a strikeout, Garrett doubled to deep left center field to drive in the Bulldog's first two runs of the game and his first two RBI of the season. Sophomore Calvin Hawke drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to centerfield followed by an RBI single from Wheeler to cut the Shippensburg lead to 6-4 after five innings of play.
The Bulldogs and Raiders went quiet once again in the sixth inning until Berry forced a bases-loaded walk to score Barton's fifth run of the game. Then, with the bases loaded, sophomore catcher Jacob Willis sent a ball over the left field fence to clear the bases and put Barton ahead 9-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Shippensburg added another run in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly before Berry drove in his fourth RBI of the day with an RBI-single up the middle for a 10-7 Bulldog lead.
The Raiders would rally to score two runs on three hits in the top of the final inning, but Barton held strong for the one-run victory on its home field.
Wheeler was once again 2-for-4 in the game with a double, an RBI and two runs scored, as Webster also finished 2-for-4 in the game with a run scored.
Willis recorded four RBI in the game with his seventh inning grand slam, while Garrett was 1-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI in the win.
Senior Zach Breen got the start for Barton, allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts and five walks, while sophomore Kerry Walker allowed just one hit in one inning of relief.
Warren (2-1) earned the victory in game two, appearing in his second game of the day and fourth game overall this season. The right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits with three strikeouts in three innings of relief work.
The final game of the weekend series originally schedule for Sunday afternoon has been cancelled due to the threat of inclement weather and freezing temperatures.
Barton will host Francis Marion University in a single game on Wednesday, February 18 at 2:30 p.m. in Wilson.
