Hampden-Sydney shuts out 21st-ranked Bishops, 3-0

Rocky Mount, NC - Hampden-Sydney College used a stellar pitching performance by sophomore Bryan Breedlove to upset 21st-ranked North Carolina Wesleyan by a 3-0 score on Tuesday afternoon. Breedlove threw a complete game four-hit shutout to earn his first victory of the season for the Tigers (7-12). The Battling Bishops suffer just their second home loss in 13 games at Bauer Field and now stand at 14-5-1 overall.

Breedlove (1-3) and Wesleyan starter Doug Roenker engaged in a pitcher's dual over the first five innings. Roenker allowed just four hits, while striking out five and walking four. He was lifted in the sixth in favor of junior Jon Lucas.

Lucas (0-1) also struck out five in 3 2/3 innings of work but suffered the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) in the ninth.

In the Tigers' final at-bat, Evan Rogers led off the frame with a single. He was replaced by pinch runner Luke Swiney, who advanced to second on a sac-bunt. Another single followed to move Swiney to third, but Lucas answered with a strikeout for the second out.

He looked to get out of the jam when he knocked down a sharply hit grounder back up the middle off the bat of Daniel Venezuela, but his throw to first was late, allowing the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run to score.

Hampden-Sydney tacked on two more runs for the 3-0 final.

Chris Pecora was 2-for-4 for the Bishops. Justin Rahm and Ted Williams had Wesleyan's other two hits. Rogers, Alan Appling, and Nick Price had two hits apiece for the Tigers, who tallied 10 hits as a team.

The Bishops, who were ranked 20th in last week's D3Baseball.com Top-25 poll, dropped to 21st this week. They are set to host a crucial USA South series against Methodist University over the weekend. Saturday's game is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start, followed by a 2:00 p.m. game on Sunday.

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