Diamond Bishops and Marlins fight to 4-4 tie, game called

Virginia Beach, VA - Down 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth, the Marlins of Virginia Wesleyan managed two unearned runs to force extra innings and went on to secure a 4-4 tie with the Battling Bishops on Monday afternoon. The two squads fought through a scoreless tenth before the game was called due to darkness. North Carolina Wesleyan now stands at 13-3-1 on the season, while the Marlins are 7-2-1 overall. The tie is just the seventh in program history for the Bishops and the second during head coach Charlie Long's 11-year tenure.

The Marlins took an early 1-0 lead thanks to an error, wild pitch, and balk in the second. They made the slim advantage stand up until the seventh when the Bishops plated three runs. Chris Pecora, Travis Beausoleil, and Matt Smith each had an RBI in the frame.

Each team scored a run in its next at-bat, giving the Bishops a 4-2 lead entering the ninth. A fielding error allowed VWC lead-off batter Phil Cadle to reach first. He advanced to second on a fielder's choice, but the groundout and subsequent strikeout moved NCWC starting pitcher Justin Diener to within one out of a complete game win.

The next batter, however, delivered an RBI-single, prompting Long to bring in David Krasnowieki for the final out. Unfortunately, back-to-back singles plated the tying run before a groundout to second ended the inning. After scoreless tenth, the game was called due to darkness.

Diener went 8 2/3 innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on just five hits. The Battling Bishops tallied 12 hits as a team.

The Bishops will travel to Lynchburg College on Friday for a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader.

Return to Baseball Main