Baseball Drops Slugfest to VA Wesleyan

Tyson Bass, courtesy Carl Lewis
Tyson Bass, courtesy Carl Lewis

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. - The NC Wesleyan College baseball team dropped a high-scoring slugfest 15-10 at home to Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday afternoon.

Bishop starter Cullen Davis got into some trouble in the first inning walking three batters and allowing a two-run double before exiting the game down 4-0. Freshman reliever Hunter Hill then held it together over the next 3 innings shutting down the Marlins before they got to him in the 4th inning for four runs including three on a home run to right.

VWU would then extend their lead to 11-1 after batting in the 6th inning to score three runs combined off relievers Chandler Padgett and freshman Dylan Cheeley. The Bishops then began to rally in the 6th inning scoring three runs on a Zach Scott RBI single and a Tyson Bass sac fly before Scott scored on a wild pitch as NCWC climbed to within 7 at 11-4.

Then in the seventh, NCWC would get to within 11-7 as an RBI walk from Jackson Hobbs, an RBI groundout and a Bass RBI single drove in the runs. After a scoreless inning from senior reliever Kevin Williams in the 7th, VWU then put the game away with a 4-run 8th inning off junior reliever Clayton Gilmore. Gilmore did strike out two in the inning. Senior reliever Zach Woolard then pitched a clean 9th inning as well.

The Bishops did score three in the 8th to get within five scoring on a passed ball, error, and a wild pitch but could get no closer.

Leading the way offensively were Bass and left fielder Zach Lyon with two hits apiece while Hobbs and catcher Jaiden Barker also knocked doubles.

The Bishops fall to 7-8 with the loss while the Marlins improve to 8-5.

NC Wesleyan next returns to action on Friday when they head north to Virginia to battle Southern VA University at 3 pm.