NCWC baseball celebrates Senior Day with 7-1 win over York

Rocky Mount, NC - The Battling Bishop baseball team of North Carolina Wesleyan celebrated 2009 Senior Day on Saturday afternoon with a 7-1 victory over York College (PA) at Bauer Field. All eight seniors played significant roles in the victory, as the Bishops moved to 27-19 on the season. Pictured from left to right are Ben Moore, Zollie Woodlief, Luke Williford, Jon Lucas, Justin Batts, Justin Tuck, Jonathan Shearon, and Travis Beausoleil.

Wesleyan took an early 1-0 lead in the first. Batts and Woodlief collected back-to-back two-out singles to keep the inning alive, and a Spartan fielding error eventually allowed Batts to score the game's first run. York answered with its only run of the contest in the second inning as Matt Monti delivered an RBI-single to center that plated Rob Andrews.

Lucas, who started the game, went four strong innings and allowed just one run on four hits while striking out five. He received a no-decision after being relieved by Moore in the fifth.  Moore (8-1) proceeded to toss four innings of no-hit baseball, allowing just one runner to reach base on a walk.

The Bishops set Moore up for the win by plating six runs over their final four at-bats. Woodlief drove in what proved to be the game-winning run with a two-out single to left in the fifth that scored Beausoleil, while sophomore Daniel Moore blasted a two-run homer to left in the sixth. The seventh inning saw sophomore Zach Alexander drive in Batts with a two-out single to right, and Wesleyan's final two runs came on two-run single by Williford in the eighth.

Shearon came on to toss a scoreless ninth to cap an exciting day for a great senior class that has led the Bishops to two USA South Regular Season Championships, two USA South Tournament Championships, and two NCAA Tournament appearances over their four-year careers.

Previously on Friday, the Bishops earned a twinbill split on the road at Mary Washington. In the opener, UMW's Andrew Cox pitched a complete game shutout, allowing four hits in seven innings with one walk and five strikeouts en route to a 3-0 win.

The Eagles scored twice in the second, using all three of the hits it collected in the game, and later added an insurance run in the sixth. NCWC sophomore Richard Wall (1-1) suffered the tough loss after a solid complete game outing.

In game two, the Eagles took a 7-3 lead into the seventh, but Wesleyan scored five times in its final at-bat to steal the 8-7 victory. Junior Joel Creef delivered a two-out, two-run double to tie the game, and he later scored the eventual winning run on a crucial Eagle fielding error.

Junior John Child (2-1) picked up the win in relief, allowing no runs on just one hit over the final two innings. Creef finished 2-for-3 at the plate.

Having completed their regular season schedule, the Bishops will now prepare for NCAA regional play beginning on May 13th. This year's South Regional will be hosted by Salisbury University in Maryland.

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