Tubb Leads Bishops to First Round Win

Starter Drew Tubb
Starter Drew Tubb

LAGRANGE, Ga. - Sophomore starting pitcher Drew Tubb threw 8 very strong innings in helping to lead the 5th seed NC Wesleyan Baseball team to a first round 3-2 win over 4th seed Huntingdon College (Ala.) (22-15).

The Bishops improve to 23-14 overall and will next face 8th seeded Covenant College in the Second Round (Winner's Bracket Semifinals) on Friday afternoon at 1:30 PM at LaGrange's Cleaveland Field. Covenant upset top-seeded Piedmont College 7-2 on Thursday as well.

Tubb (6-0) allowed just 5 hits and 2 runs (1 run through 8) with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts over 8 plus innings including numerous 1-2-3 innings and a 4-pitch 1st inning. Huntingdon got to within one run in the 9th before junior reliever Noah Shrock came in to relieve Tubb and pick up the save, his 6th, with a called third strike to end it before the rains came.

The Bishops got on the board first in the 2nd inning on an RBI single from freshman 3B Andrew Nichols driving in senior catcher Brandon Wheat. After Huntingdon tied it at 1 in the second, the game would remain tied until the 7th inning when the Bishops loaded the bases with no outs. Junior RF Moses Vigo was then hit by a pitch which brought in Wheat for the go-ahead run. Wheat had led off the inning with a double. Junior shortstop Alec Titmus then extended the Bishop lead to two runs as he brought freshman DH Jackson Murray in with a sacrifice fly.

Wheat led the team with a two-hit game while junior 2B Brad Pennington, senior LF Logan Andrews and Nichols also recorded hits.

Baseball Tournament Schedule (all times EST)
(all games played at Cleaveland Field at Phil Williamson Stadium in LaGrange, GA unless otherwise noted)

Day #1 - Thursday, April 25
Game #1 - #7 Maryville - 6   #2 Methodist - 8
Game #2 - #6 Greensboro - 7 vs. #3 LaGrange - 9 (Point University's West Point Field)
Game #3 - #8 Covenant - 7   #1 Piedmont - 2
Game #4 - #5 N.C. Wesleyan - 3   #4 Huntingdon - 2 (Point University's West Point Field)

Day #2 - Friday, April 26
Game #5 - #7 Maryville vs. #6 Greensboro - 10:00am (Point University's West Point Field)
Game #6 -#1 Piedmont vs. #4 Huntingdon - 1:30pm (Point University's West Point Field)
Game #7 - #2 Methodist vs. #3 LaGrange - 10:00am  
Game #8 - #8 Covenant vs. #5 N.C. Wesleyan - 1:30pm 
Game #9 - Winner of Game #5 vs. Loser of Game #8 - 5:00pm 
Game #10 - Winner of Game #6 vs. Loser of Game #7 - 8:00pm