Box Score PEMBROKE, N.C. – The Barton College baseball team pounded out 18 hits, including three home runs, but it was not enough to overcome the powerful offense of nationally ranked No. 23 UNC Pembroke in a 13-8 loss on Tuesday night at Sammy Cox Field.
Sophomore Jacob Willis had what could be considered his best game as a Bulldog, finishing 4-for-5 from the plate with two home runs, three runs scored and three RBI. With the first multi-home run game of his career, Willis now has a team-high seven home runs this season.
The Braves (30-10) got out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning before the Barton offense responded with a three-run top of the third.
With one out on the board, senior Mitchell Wheeler doubled to left field before a two-run home run by Willis tied the game at 2-2. Junior Nick McKinney promptly gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead with a solo home run, his sixth of the season, over the right field fence.
However, UNC Pembroke would not trail for long as a four-run third inning and a five-run fourth inning gave the home team an 11-3 lead.
Barton (17-24) began to rally in the top of the fifth, scoring four runs on seven hits and taking advantage of a fielding error by the Braves. Willis singled to lead-off the inning before McKinney followed with a single of his own down the left field line. Sophomore Andrew Webster then singled up the middle to drive in two runs and cut the led to 11-5 in favor of UNCP.
Sophomore Shawn Montren singled up the middle as well to place runners on first and second as a sacrifice bunt by fellow sophomore Blake Spangenberg advanced each runner forward 90 feet. Red-shirt junior Matthew Berry and sophomore Calvin Hawke then used back-to-back RBI singles to cut the deficit to four runs.
Willis led off the sixth inning with a solo home run, his second long ball of the game, to left center, but the Braves scored one run in the seventh and a final run in the eighth inning to secure the 13-8 victory.
The Bulldogs used five different pitchers in the losing effort as senior Jackson Pardue (0-1) took the loss after allowing six runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts over 2.1 innings in his first career start.
Freshman Trent Fennell allowed five runs on five hits in 1.1 innings, as senior Mike Brienza tossed 1.1 innings of hitless relief. Freshman left-hander Andrew Davis allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts in two innings of work, while sophomore Kerry Walker pitched the final inning for Barton, allowing one unearned run on a hit with one strikeout.
Webster was 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and a run scored, while McKinney turned in a 2-for-5 performance with a home run, an RBI and two runs scored. Hawke was 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Royal Blue and White.
Barton and UNC Pembroke will play the second half of a home-and-home series tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Nixon Field in Wilson.
