Lions Sweep Twinbill to Steal Series from Bishops

Lions Sweep Twinbill to Steal Series from Bishops

Demorest, Ga. - After opening their three-game set at Piedmont College with a 6-5 win on Sunday, the Battling Bishop baseball team let the USA South series slip away from them on Monday, suffering a twinbill sweep at the hands of the Lions by 4-1 and 6-5 scores.

Sunday's game saw the two squads take a 3-3 tie into the seventh inning after a James Johnson RBI-groundout knotted the score in the sixth. In the top of the seventh, freshman Macon Hammond and sophomore J.J. Rodriguez each drove in runs for a 5-3 Bishop lead, while a Jason Riley RBI-single in the eighth plated the eventual gamewinner.

Johnson finished 3-for-5 at the plate to pace Wesleyan. Riley and fellow freshman James Lovett also chipped in two hits apiece for the Bishops, who tallied 13 hits as a team.

Junior hurler Will Beasley (2-2) went 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and striking out seven en route to the victory. Sophomore Hatteras Brooks recorded the final two outs to notch his first save of the season.

The Bishops, unfortunately, would see things go south on Monday.  Senior Jake Swartout (2-2) went the distance in game one's 4-1 loss, allowing four runs on eight hits over eight complete. He got little offensive help as a Lion trio of pitchers limited the Bishops to just one run on six hits, two of which came from the bat of senior Jake Alexander.

In the rubber game, the two teams battled to a 4-4 tie entering the bottom of the eighth. The Lions proceeded to steal the series when a bases-loaded wild pitch plated the gamewinning run. The Bishops threatened in the ninth, but freshman Justin DiSanto was thrown out attempting to steal third to end the game.

Riley, Alexander and James Kornegay all had a pair of hits each, while Brooks got a no-decision in 5.2 innings of work.

NCWC (6-10, 4-5 USA South) now heads to Myrtle Beach, S.C. for the 2013 Cal Ripken Experience Tournament. The Bishops will play four games over the next two days, with game results being posted when available.