Creef and Wooten carry
Bishops to twinbill sweep of GC
Rocky Mount, NC
- Freshman Joel Creef delivered a two-out RBI double in
the bottom of the eighth inning on Saturday afternoon,
lifting his Bishop baseball squad to a thrilling 6-5 win
in game one of Wesleyan’s USA South doubleheader with
Greensboro College. The 7th-ranked Bishops went on to
complete the doubleheader sweep with a 5-1 victory in
game two behind a 3-for-4 performance at the plate by
senior Mark Wooten. Wesleyan is now 10-3 overall, 2-0
in conference action. With the two losses, Greensboro
drops to 8-7 on the season, 0-2 in league play.
In the opener,
Greensboro scratched the game’s first run to take a 1-0
lead in the third. The Bishops, however, responded with
a two-spot in both the fourth and fifth innings to go up
4-1. Junior catcher Ted Williams collected an RBI in
each frame, one with a bases-load walk and one with a
sharp single to left.
The Pride pulled to
within one with two runs on three hits in the seventh,
and it was enough to chase Wesleyan starter Blake Rice
for the first time this season. Rice threw seven
complete, allowed three runs on nine hits, struck out
six, and walked three.
NCWC added an insurance
run in the bottom of the frame on Williams’ third RBI of
the game, a two-out double to left-center that plated
Justin Batts. Batts had previously reached on an error
to extend the inning.
Up 5-3, the Bishops
brought in lefty Heath Bridgers. Bridgers allowed a
lead-off single and then hit a batter, setting the stage
for Dale Martin’s RBI fielder’s choice that cut the NCWC
lead to 5-4. With two outs and Martin on second,
Wesleyan skipper Charlie Long brought in Batts. Pat
Burgess promptly delivered a clutch single up the middle
that knotted the game at 5-5. Both runs were credited
to Bridgers and ensured a no-decision for Rice.
The stage was then set
for Creef’s heroics. With one out, senior Nathan West
reached on a crucial Pride error and advanced to second
on a wild pitch. A groundout to second moved West to
third, and Creef quickly deposited his first double of
the season into the gap in left center for the eventual
game-winner.
Batts tossed the ninth
to earn the win and even his season record at 1-1. GC’s
Chatham Bray (3-1) suffered the tough loss for the Pride
after going distance. He allowed six runs (three
earned) on eight hits, struck out five, and walked
three. Bray saw his defense commit three crucial
fielding errors in the contest.
Wooten was 3-for-3 with
an RBI and a run scored to pace the Bishops offensively,
while Matt Smith and Williams added two hits apiece.
Jeff Gregory and Pat Burgess each had three hits for the
Pride, who ripped 11 hits as a team.
Game two saw the
Bishops open up a 5-1 lead after three complete. It
would prove to be more than enough for NCWC starter Ben
Pearson (3-1), who allowed one unearned run on eight
hits in 7.1 innings of work. Ben Moore closed out the
final 1.2 scoreless innings for the Bishops.
Kit Mock (0-1) took the
loss for the Pride after giving up five runs (three
earned) on ten hits in eight complete innings.
In addition to Wooten’s
three hits, Smith and Luke Williford each finished
2-for-4, while Wes Means and Justin Tuck collected two
RBIs apiece. Both Tyler Wolfe and Kyle Bolick recorded
two hits for the Pride.
The Bishops will host
Capital University on Friday at 3:00 p.m. before
returning to USA South play on Saturday at Methodist.
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