Box Score by Cory Guinn
MURFREESBORO, N.C. –The Barton College baseball was unable to even the season series with Chowan University as the Hawks used a late-inning rally to earn a 9-8 victory over the Bulldogs at Hawkins Field.
Barton's record fell to 13-15 overall while Chowan improved to an even 13-13, earning a 3-1 victory in the regular season series between the two teams.
Chowan was able to race out to an early six-run lead with two runs in the first and four runs in the second inning before the Barton offense came alive in the third inning of play.
Senior JT Bunce led off the third inning being hit by a pitch and quickly advanced to third on a single from sophomore Calvin Hawke to left center. With runners on the corner, sophomore Tyler Garrett drove in a run with a ground out to the second baseman before senior Spiers Miller used an RBI single to left field to make the score 6-2 in favor of Chowan.
The Hawks added another run in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly to left field as both teams went scoreless in the fifth.
In the sixth inning, Bunce led off with a walk followed by a single from Hawke and a sacrifice bunt from Garrett to put two runners in scoring position. Bunce then scored on a wild pitch and Hawke followed across the plate on an error by the Chowan left fielder to cut the deficit to 7-4 in favor of the Hawks. The Bulldogs pulled to within two runs on an RBI single from the bat of sophomore Andrew Webster before the inning came to a close.
The seventh inning once again began with Bunce reaching base after being hit with a pitch with one out on the board. Hawke then reached on a fielding error by the right fielder as Garrett doubled to right center to bring a run across the plate.
Barton tied the game at 7-7 when Hawke scored for the second time on an error by the Hawks' third baseman before taking an 8-7 lead on a sacrifice fly to right field from senior Avery Harper.
However, Chowan would put together a one-out rally in the bottom of the eighth, scoring twice on two hits before the Bulldog defense was able to get out of the inning. Chowan's Will Garganus stayed on the mound and held the Barton offense at bay in the ninth for the win.
Freshman Trent Fennell began the game on the mound for Barton and gave up six runs (one earned) on five hits with a strikeout in two innings before giving way to relief. Junior Ricky Jernigan threw 3.1 innings, allowing just one run on five hits, while freshman Andrew Davis pitched 1.2 innings of hitless relief, striking out two.
Senior Mike Brienza (0-2) was hit with the loss after allowing two runs on two hits with a strikeout in 2/3 of an inning as junior Seth Breasseale pitched the final 1/3 of an inning.
Hawke had the hot bat for Barton, finishing 3-for-5 with three runs scored, while Bunce was 1-for-2 with three runs scored of his own after reaching base on a walk and two hit-by-pitches. Garrett was 1-for-5 with a double and two RBI as Webster was 2-for-5 at the plate with his 17th RBI of the season.
Barton will travel to Gaffney, S.C. this weekend for a Conference Carolinas matchup with Limestone College beginning on Friday, March 27 at 2:30 p.m.
