CARY, N.C. - The 15th ranked NC Wesleyan College Baseball team used pitching and defense to win game one 4-0 while erupting for an 8-run inning in game two to sweep the William Peace Pacers 11-6 in USA South Conference action on Friday.
With the wins, Wesleyan improves to 19-3 overall and remains in first place in the east at 7-1.
GAME 1: NCWC 4, WPU 0
Senior starter Derrick Carter dominated the Pacers in game one throwing 8 shutout innings allowing only 5 hits and one walk while striking out a career-high 12 batters. Senior reliever Kevin Williams then finished it off throwing a scoreless ninth with two Ks.
Wesleyan scored the first run of the game on a passed ball in the third with senior RF Alec Titmus coming in to score. Freshman 3B Tyson Bass then hit a three-run double in the 6th inning giving the Bishops all the offense they would need as eight different Bishops all recorded hits in the game.
GAME 2: NCWC 11, WPU 6
Wesleyan racked up 15 hits in the victory scoring 8 runs in the 6th inning to come back from a 4-2 deficit. Wesleyan first led 2-0 on 1B Jackson Hobbs' sac fly and an RBI groundout before Peace scored 4 runs over the next few innings off freshman starter Cullen Davis and senior reliever Drew Tubb.
The Bishops would then explode for 8 runs in the 6th starting with back-to-back-to-back run-scoring singles from CF Drifton Padgett, Bass, and SS Nate Hibbs to take a 5-4 lead. Hobbs then doubled in two more runs before catcher Brad Pennington scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-4. DH Jackson Murray's sacrifice fly made it 9-4 before LF Zach Lyon and Bass scored as well on WPU errors.
Murray led the offense going 3 for 3 while Bass, Pennington, Hobbs, and Padgett also registered two hits apiece.
Davis threw 4 innings allowing 3 runs on just one hit with 4 walks and 3 strikeouts while Tubb picked up the win tossing 2 innings allowing one run on one hit with 3 walks and 3 Ks. Junior Relievers Alex Crosby and Zach Woolard also each tossed scoreless innings combining for 3 strikeouts.
The rivals will finish their conference series on Saturday at 12 Noon from the USA Baseball Complex in Cary.