Baseball Falls in Extras

courtesy of Carl Lewis
courtesy of Carl Lewis

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The N.C. Wesleyan College baseball team suffered a heartbreaking loss on the road at Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday falling 9-7 in 10 innings.

The Bishops got on the board first as senior CF Cedrick Kornegay doubled in Brad Pennington in the first before VWU came back with 3 runs over the next few innings to lead  3-1 heading to the 5th.

Wesleyan would then score 6 straight runs to take a 7-3 lead into the 8th. Senior 3B Trey Croom got things started with an RBI single in the 5th inning before he doubled in two more runs in the 7th. Senior 1B/DH Nate Gardner and junior outfielder Luke Mills then followed with consecutive RBI singles to put the Bishops up 6-3 until Kornegay drove in the 7th run on a VW error to end the 5-run inning.

Unfortunately, after three consecutive scoreless innings from relievers Chris Sullivan, Connor Stratton, and Michael Smith, the Marlins would finally get to the Bishop bullpen going on to score 6 runs off relievers Chris Aubry and Alec Titmus to get the extra inning win. Three consecutive sacrifice flies from the Marlins in the 8th and 9th innings got them within 7-6 before an RBI single sent it to the 10th. VW (14-11) then won it on a walk-off two run homer off Titmus in the 10th.

The Bishops were led by Croom's two-hit and 3-RBI game while Pennington scored two runs. Sophomore catcher Chris Henley also recorded a double along with Kornegay and Croom as they all had extra base hits. Titmus also had a hit and a stolen base while Junior starter Galen Beaver threw 4 innings giving up 6 hits and 3 runs.

Wesleyan falls to 21-10 with the loss and will now return home to host conference foe Piedmont College on Friday at 3 PM.