#24 Baseball Sweeps Peace, Improves to 11-2

Brad Pennington
Brad Pennington

CARY, N.C. - The NC Wesleyan College baseball team swept their non-conference doubleheader from William Peace University on Sunday afternoon taking game one 6-5 in 7 innings and shutting down the Pacers 7-1 in game two at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary.

The Bishops improve to 11-2 on the year with the two wins dropping Peace to 8-7 overall.

GAME 2: NCWC 7, PEACE 1

Freshman starting pitcher CJ DiBenedetto helped lead Wesleyan to a game two win by shutting down the Pacers for all 7 innings of his complete game. He held Peace to just one run on 4 hits and no walks with 6 strikeouts to improve to 3-1 on the year with a 2.45 ERA.

After scoring off an error in the 2nd inning, senior DH Trey Posilero then drove in a run on his single before freshman 3B Tyson Bass knocked in two runs on his single to give NCWC a 4-0 lead after two.

Sophomore CF Drifton Padgett then singled in another run in the third while outfielders Zach Lyon and David MacCallum also each hit RBI singles in the 5th and 6th innings respectively to put Wesleyan up 7-0. Sophomore 2B Davie Morgan led the way with two hits while senior Brad Pennington and junior Jackson Murray each scored two runs and stole a base.

GAME 1: NCWC 6, PEACE 5

The Bishops got to another quick lead at 2-0 in the 1st inning on a run-scoring double from Morgan while Murray's RBI double then scored Morgan in the 4th inning. Pennington and Morgan then drove in back-to-back runs in the 5th on a single and sac fly.

Wesleyan would then add a big insurance run in the 6th on a wild pitch that at the time gave them a 6-1 lead and seemed harmless. However, it would be needed as Peace rallied for 4 runs over the final two innings to get within one at 6-5.

But the 24th ranked Bishops would close it out as freshman reliever Danny Thompson tossed the final inning allowing a hit and a run but struck out two for the save.

Freshman pitcher Cullen Davis started the game for Wesleyan on the mound and threw 3 innings allowing a hit and an unearned run on 2 walks and six strikeouts. Sophomore reliever Chandler Padgett would then get the win as he relieved Davis in the 4th and go on to throw 2 and 1/3 innings allowing a hit and 3 runs 2 earned with 3 walks.

The Bishops will now return to action on Wednesday when they host Ferrum at 3 PM.