Batts delivers in Battling Bishops’ 13-4 win over Monarchs

Rocky Mount, NC - Junior catcher Justin Batts (pictured) went 2-for-4 with four RBI on Sunday afternoon, leading his Battling Bishop baseball squad to a 13-4 USA South victory over Methodist University at Bauer Field. The win secured a series split with the Monarchs, who took Saturday’s opener by an 8-5 score. NC Wesleyan moves to 15-6-1 overall, 3-3 in conference play, while Methodist now stands at 16-7 on the season, 4-2 in league action.

On Sunday, Wesleyan took a 3-1 lead after four on two RBI by Batts and one by Chris Pecora. A Bishop throwing error in the fifth, however, extended the inning for the Monarchs’ Scott Russell, who blasted a three-run homerun to left to give MU a 4-3 lead.

Wesleyan answered with a run in their half of the inning to tie the game at 4-4. Freshman Jason Gay recorded an RBI-groundout that scored Travis Beausoleil, who had led off the frame with a single to center.

The Bishops busted the game open with a six-spot in the seventh to go up 10-4. Batts delivered a two-run double and Justin Tuck connected on a two-run triple to highlight the inning. Wesleyan batted around in the frame, collecting six hits.

NCWC tacked on a trio of insurance runs in the eighth on a three-run blast by Gay that cleared the pine trees in left. The homerun was his second of the season.

The 13-4 lead was more than enough for starter Ben Moore, who remained perfect in USA South play with a complete game effort. Moore (5-1) scattered four hits and allowed four runs (all unearned), while walking one and striking out five.

MU’s Chris Toth took the loss, allowing six runs on six hits in six complete.

For NCWC, Beausoleil finished 4-for-5 and Matt Smith 3-for-4 with a combined six runs scored. Russell and Billy Quinn were the only players to record hits for the Monarchs as each tallied two on the day.

On Saturday, the Monarchs plated five runs over the second and third innings to forge an early 5-1 lead that they would not relinquish.

Down 8-3 in the ninth, the Bishops did manage to bring the tying run to the plate in the form of Batts. Beausoleil and Pecora had each driven in runs to make the score 8-5, but Methodist hurler Fred Geisinger forced Batts to hit a high fly ball to center that ended the threat and the game. The Bishops, in fact, flew out 17 times on the day.

Geisinger went the distance for the Monarchs, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits. Freshman Justin Diener took the loss for the Bishops after giving up six runs (four earned) on seven hits in six complete.

Brad Davis, Kyle Eudy, and Michael Carter paced the Methodist offense with two hits apiece, while Philip Betterly recorded three RBI.  For the Bishops, Smith, Gay, and Pecora each had two hits with Pecora driving in three.

North Carolina Wesleyan returns to action on Tuesday when the Bishops host Virginia Wesleyan at 3:30 p.m. The Bishops and Marlins tied earlier in the season 4-4.

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