Bishops Sweep Lions for Second Straight Series Win

Will Beasley
Will Beasley

Rocky Mount, N.C. - Senior Will Beasley and freshman Spencer Ramsey each picked up wins on the mound on Monday, helping their Battling Bishop baseball team secure a doubleheader sweep of Piedmont College at Bauer Field. Wesleyan took game one by an 8-5 score thanks to a pair of RBIs each by sophomores Ciro Norzagaray and Jason Riley, while game two saw Beasley go the distance for a 3-2 victory.

The Lions had previously taken Sunday's series opener by a 9-8 score, plating two runs in the eighth to steal the win. It was a different story on Monday, however, as Norzagaray got the offense going with a solo blast to left field in the fourth inning of game one.

After falling behind 3-1 in the fifth, the Bishops countered with six runs in their half of the frame to take a lead they would not relinquish. Riley provided the big blow with a two-run single to left-center, while Norzagaray, Lee Dunn, and Tyler Clark also tallied RBIs.

The Lions threatened in the eighth by loading the bases with two outs, but Norzagaray shut the door in relief by tallying a strikeout to end the inning. He went on to earn his first save of the season by tossing a scoreless ninth.

Dunn, Clark and Hayden Williams had two hits apiece for the Bishops, who had 10 hits as a team. Ramsey moved to 5-0 on the season, allowing four runs on six hits over seven complete.

In the series finale, Norzagaray mirrored his game one performance with a solo homer in the fourth, his fifth of the season, which knotted the score a 1-1. Freshman Luis Palencia later gave the Bishops a 2-1 lead with an RBI-triple in the sixth, with Norzagaray adding an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI-double.

It was just enough for Beasley (2-4), who turned in his first complete game of the season and surrendered just two runs on six hits.

The Battling Bishops (9-16-1, 6-11 USA South) will travel to Christopher Newport University on Thursday before returning home to Bauer Field on Saturday and Sunday to take on league rival Methodist University.