Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Cory Guinn
WILSON N.C.. – The Barton College baseball team opened the home portion of its 2015 season with a doubleheader sweep of Glenville State College 8-1 and 12-0 on Saturday afternoon at Nixon Field.
The Bulldogs improve to 2-1 on the young season, while the Pioneers fell to 0-2 overall.
Game One: Barton 8 Glenville State 1
Barton's offense got the ball rolling early as sophomore Calvin Hawke sent a double to right center.
The next two batters were unable to advance the runner until redshirt junior Michael Berry reached on an error by the Pioneer third baseman to bring Hawke across the plate for a 1-0 lead. Berry then scored on a single from the bat of senior Avery Harper for a 2-0 lead after the first inning of play.
The bottom of the third inning would again see the Bulldog bats come alive as junior Ben Williams scored on an error by Glenville State's first baseman.
With two runners on and two outs on the scoreboard, senior infielder Spiers Miller sent his first home run of the season over the left field fence to clear the bases and put Barton ahead 6-0 after just three innings of play.
In the ensuing inning, Hawke reached on a leadoff single before a double by redshirt senior Mitchell Wheeler put runners on second and third. With one out in the fourth, Berry used a sacrifice fly to extend the Barton lead to a seven-run advantage.
An RBI-single by sophomore Andrew Webster put the Bulldogs ahead 8-0 after four until the Pioneers scored theironly run of the game in the top of the seventh inning.
Hawke was 2-for-3 at the plate in game one with a double and two runs scored, whiel Harper was a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored of his own.
Senior Zach Breen (1-0) picked up the victory in his second start of the season, allowing just two hits with nine strikeouts in five innings of work. Freshman Trent Fennell pitched the final two innings of relief, allowing one run on one hit with two strikeouts.
Game Two: Barton 12 Glenville State 0
The second game of the afternoon held much of the same result for Barton as the Bulldogs scored 12 runs on 15 hits, including three doubles and three home runs.
Glenville State went down 1-2-3 in the top half of the first, giving Barton added momentum heading into the bottom of the frame.
A Williams' single put the ball in motion as Hawke scored from first on a throwing error by the Pioneer third baseman, allowing Williams to advance all the way to third. He was subsequently driven in by Berry on a sacrifice fly to center field as Barton earned a two-run lead.
Sophomore Jacob Willis followed with a solo home run over the left field fence for a 3-0 Bulldog lead. Harper then singled to left field before being driven in on a two-run home run by junior Nick McKinney for a five-run lead. Miller would blast his second home run of the day over the left field fence, this time a solo shot, as Barton went back-to-back for a 6-0 lead after the first inning of play.
The runs continued to pile up as an RBI-double from Berry brought Wheeler across the plate early in the second inning of play. The Bulldogs would score two more runs in the inning as McKinney and Miller each forced bases-loaded walks for a 9-0 Barton lead.
A RBI-single from William would add to the Barton lead in the third inning, before sophomore Shawn Montren singled up the middle to bring two Bulldogs across the plate in the fifth to seal the eventual 12-run victory.
Harper was again perfect at the plate, finishing 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored, while Wheeler and Williams were each 2-for-3 in game two. Willis finished the game 1-for-2 with a home run, an RBI and two runs scored.
Senior Kyle Rufer (1-0) allowed just three hits with four strikeouts over four innings in his first start of the year. Sophomore Kerry Walker followed with two innings of relief, allowing two hits with a strikeout as freshman Paschal Ammons pitched a perfect seventh inning with two strikeouts in his first collegiate appearance on the mound.
Barton and Glenville State will square off again tomorrow, February 8 at Nixon Field with a doubleheader slated to begin at noon.
