Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Cory Guinn
WILSON, N.C. – Any chance of the Barton College baseball team making the postseason was taken away Saturday afternoon as the Bulldogs were swept by visiting Pfeiffer University in a doubleheader at Nixon Field.
Barton's overall record fell to 18-27 on the season and 12-14 in Conference Carolinas play as Pfeiffer improved to 26-19 overall and 16-10 within the league. The Falcons secured a No. 3 seed in the upcoming Conference Carolinas Tournament as the Bulldogs rank seventh in the standings with the top six teams making a trip to Burlington, N.C.
Game One: Pfeiffer 5 Barton 0 (Seven inn.)
The first game of the weekend began as somewhat of a pitcher's duel after Pfeiffer went ahead 1-0 in the top second inning. The Bulldogs and Falcons combined for just three total hits over the game's first four innings.
Pfeiffer would score again in the fifth inning on a two-run home run from Anthony Allende, followed a solo shot from David Lindley in the sixth and an Izzy Perez RBI double in the seventh to complete the scoring.
Barton's lone hit of the contest came in the third inning on a lead-off single from senior Mitchell Wheeler as Pfeiffer's Keith Little pitched a complete game one-hitter with six strikeouts to earn his fifth victory.
Senior right-hander Brandon Warren (6-3) suffered the loss in his final home game as a Bulldog, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts in his third complete game of the season.
Game Two: Pfeiffer 8 Barton 4
Pfeiffer once against struck first with a run in the top of the second inning on a solo shot from Lindley before the Bulldogs built a 4-1 lead in the bottom half of the frame.
Sophomore Shawn Montren led off the second with a single through the left side before the next two batters went down in order.
A single by sophomore Calvin Hawke put runners on the corners before fellow sophomore drove in a run with an RBI single through the right side tied the game. With a 2-1 count, senior Spiers Miller homered over the center field fence to clear the bases and give Barton an early 4-1 lead.
However, the Falcons were able to score three runs in the top of the third to tie the game at 4-4. Pfeiffer scored two runs each in the eighth and ninth innings to build a four-run lead that held through the final half inning of play.
Barton senior Kyle Rufer allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits with four strikeouts over seven innings in final start for the Bulldogs.
Redshirt-junior Louis DeCarolis (1-4) pitched one inning of relief, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits with a strikeout, while senior Mike Brienza allowed two unearned runs on just one hit in the final inning.
Miller was 1-for-3 at the plate with his seventh home run of the season and three RBI, while Garrett was 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI from the lead-off spot. Hawke finished the game 2-fof-4 with a run scored as eight Bulldogs recorded a hit in the contest.
