Wesleyan baseball
records second straight league sweep
Danville,
VA -
Junior Justin Batts recorded the game-winning RBI on
both Saturday and Sunday to help lead his Battling
Bishop baseball squad to a USA South sweep of
Averett University in Danville. Batts (pictured)
delivered a two-run single in the eighth inning of
Saturday's 3-0 Wesleyan victory, and in Sunday's 6-4
win, drove in the go-ahead run with a single to left
in the 10th inning. With the wins, the Bishops
improve to 21-7-1 overall, 7-3 in conference play.
On Saturday, the two
teams had entered the eighth tied 0-0 when
Batts drove home two. Senior Matt Smith
added an insurance run with a sac-fly RBI in
the ninth to secure the 3-0 final.
NCWC starter Kyle
Robertson threw six scoreless innings before
being relieved by junior Jonathan Shearon,
who picked up the win with three scoreless
innings of his own.
The Bishops managed
just five hits and the Cougars
(12-18,
0-8) seven on the
day.
Sunday proved to be
a thriller as the two squads fought to a 4-4 tie
after nine. Averett had looked poised to avoid extra
innings after placing runners at second and third
with no outs in the bottom of the ninth. NCWC
freshman hurler Andrew Webb, however, forced a
groundout and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to
send the game to extras.
The Bishops then
plated two runs in the tenth to claim a two run
advantage. Smith led off with a single to center and
was sacrificed to second. Following an intentional
walk to Chris Pecora, Batts belted a single to left
center that scored Smith. Pecora and Batts joined
Justin Rahm in loading the bases after an Averett
error, and Pecora later scored on a fielder’s choice
by Ted Williams to give NCWC a 6-4 lead.
The Cougars placed
two runners on base in the bottom of the 10th when
Jacob Waller drew a one-out walk and Jake Loye added
a two-out single. But the Cougars failed to score,
giving the Bishops the win and sweep. Averett left
16 runners stranded in the contest.
Webb (2-0) was
credited with the win in relief. He pitched two
innings and allowed one hit, while striking out two.
Daniel Moore and Smith each had two hits for NCWC.
Wesleyan hosts a
two-game set with non-conference foe LaGrange
College on Tuesday and Wednesday at Bauer Field.
Game time is slated for 4:00 p.m. both days.
