PEMBROKE, N.C. – The Barton College Baseball Team (0-2) opened the 2021 season with a doubleheader setback to UNC Pembroke (2-0) Wednesday afternoon at Sammy Cox Field. The Braves, ranked No. 14 in NCAA Division II, won by scores of 8-2 and 17-2.
Game One – UNC Pembroke 8, Barton 2
Trailing by a 1-0 score, the Braves took the lead for good with a four-run fourth inning highlighted by a three-run home run by Bobby Dixon (Clayton, N.C.). Garrett Littleton (Kenly, N.C.) added a solo round-tripper while Spencer Faulkner (Rolesville, N.C.) finished four-for-four with two runs scored to lead the Braves' 15-hit attack.
Barton sophomore second baseman
Chandler Pethel (Colbert, Ga.) hit a solo home run in the seventh inning. On the mound, UNCP's Bucky Bonynge (Sarasota, Fla.) (1-0) allowed just one run to go along with 11 strikeouts for the win while junior
Alex Hart (Raleigh, N.C.) (0-1) suffered the loss for the Bulldogs.
Game Two – UNC Pembroke 17, Barton 2
The Braves' Wellington Guzman (Raleigh, N.C.) hit a grand slam as part of a six-run first inning and UNC Pembroke never looked back on its way to the sweep. Dixon drove in three more runs while Jacob Morrison (Goose Creek, S.C.) (1-0) allowed just two runs over six innings of work and struck out five batters for the win.
For Barton, the lone offense was provided by junior outfielder
Peyton Creech (Zebulon, N.C.) with a two-run home run in the third inning. Freshman
Mark Petko (Yorktown, Va.) (0-1) suffered the loss on the mound for the Bulldogs. A pair of errors did lead to seven unearned runs for the Braves.
Barton and UNC Pembroke return to play on Sunday when the two face off at Nixon Field beginning at 1:00 p.m.
