Diamond Bishops drop two-game set to LaGrange College

Rocky Mount, NC - LaGrange College completed the two-game sweep of North Carolina Wesleyan baseball on Wednesday afternoon at Bauer Field, downing the 23rd-ranked Bishops by a 9-3 score. The Panthers (16-11) opened up a 4-0 lead after two innings and did not look back en route to their 16th win of the season. Coupled with Tuesday's 3-1 loss, Wesleyan now stands at 21-9-1 on the season.

The Bishops got on the board in the sixth thanks to an RBI-single by freshman Justin Rahm. LaGrange, however, answered with a four-spot its next at-bat to go up 8-1. Wesleyan tacked on two more in the seventh as Travis Beausoleil and Chris Pecora each recorded a sac-fly RBI, but it was too little too late as the Panthers cruised to the six-run victory.

Eric Medlock earned the win on the mound after allowing three runs (all unearned) on ten hits in the complete game effort. Doug Roenker took the loss for the Bishops, tossing six complete and giving up six runs on ten hits.

Michael Sims went 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scores to pace LaGrange offensively. Rahm finished with three hits for the Bishops.

On Tuesday, LaGrange took game one of the series by a 3-1 score. Wesleyan stranded nine baserunners on the day and hit into three double plays, while the Panthers capitalized on their few scoring opportunities.

The first five innings featured a pitcher’s dual between NCWC’s Jon Lucas and  LC’s Justin Phelps. Lucas retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced, while Phelps managed to get out of jams in third, fourth, and fifth innings. All three frames saw the Bishops advance a runner to third with less than two outs to no avail.

The Panthers finally broke the 0-0 tie with an unearned run in the sixth. A Bishop throwing error allowed Trey Walker to reach and advance to second, and he later scored on a clutch two-out single to center by Seth Tucker.

Phelps was pulled after six complete in favor of Ben Hudson, and Matt Smith promptly greeted the lefty with a double to left center. After a sacrifice moved Smith the third, he was plated by a Chris Pecora RBI-single that tied the game at 1-1.

Wesleyan head coach Charlie Long elected to go to his bullpen in the eighth, closing the books on a stellar outing for Lucas. The junior received a no-decision after scattering just three hits in seven innings of work.

Jonathan Shearon worked the eighth and gave up the eventual winning run on a sac-fly RBI by Tucker. The Panthers also plated an insurance run when Patrick Langley ripped a two-out single to left that scored Michael Sims.

Down 3-1, the Bishops could not mount an offensive threat in their final two at-bats. Hudson picked up the win for LaGrange, while Shearon suffered the loss.

Smith and Ted Williams each had three hits for the Bishops, who tallied 11 hits on the day. Six different players recorded hits for the Panthers.

Wesleyan travels to Bridgewater College on Thursday. Game time is slated for 4:00 p.m.

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