Knowles tosses four-hit shutout at Rawlings Southern Classic

Atlanta, GA - Sophomore lefty Max Knowles tossed his first collegiate shutout on Sunday afternoon, leading his Battling Bishops to a 12-0 win over Oglethorpe University at the 2009 Rawlings Southern Classic. Knowles (pictured) gave up just four hits and struck out nine in a complete game effort. NCWC finished with a 1-3 mark at the tourney and is now 3-9 overall.

The Bishops began the weekend with a 17-3 loss at LaGrange on Friday before taking on Franklin in their first RSC game on Saturday.  A four-run fourth proved to be the difference in the game as NCWC fell by a 9-5 score.

Next up for Wesleyan was perennial powerhouse Emory University. The Eagles delivered a 9-4 defeat to the Bishops despite giving up 11 hits. Daniel Moore, Justin Batts, and Justin Rahm had two hits apiece for Wesleyan, while Jon Lucas (0-1) suffered the loss on the mound.

Knowles' performance on Sunday proved to be the highlight of the weekend. He received plenty of support by his teammates, who tallied 12 runs on 15 hits. Senior Travis Beausoleil led the offensive efforts with three hits and five RBI.

Wesleyan wrapped up the tournament with a 10-8 loss to eventual champion Rhodes College.  Tied 6-6 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Lynx plated four runs on five hits and an error to pull away.

Overall, junior Joel Creef led Wesleyan over the five-game span with a .556 batting average, including five runs scored. Freshman Pat Laffin tallied a team-high seven hits and six RBI.

The Battling Bishops return to action at home this weekend when Wesleyan hosts its First Annual Coldwell Banker/Watson Properties Tournament of Champions. The two-day tourney will feature nine National Championships among its participants: NCWC, Marietta, Montclair State, and Piedmont. 

The festivities will highlighted by the Bishops' Alumni Weekend, featuring the 10- and 20-year anniversary celebrations of Wesleyan's two national titles. For more information, please visit http://annex.ncwc.edu/athletics/baseball/2008-09/champions_tourney.htm.

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