Baseball Rallies to Force Extras, But Fall to Averett

Tyson Bass, courtesy of Carl Lewis
Tyson Bass, courtesy of Carl Lewis

DANVILLE, Va. - The NC Wesleyan College Baseball team rallied from a 6-run deficit early in the game to score 4 runs in the 9th and force extra innings against conference foe Averett University for the second straight day. However, the Bishops came up short this time falling 9-8 in 11 innings.

Averett first took a 2-0 lead on the Bishops in the first scoring off freshman starter Dylan Cheeley. However, Wesleyan would tie the game in the third with two runs on a Blake Scott sac fly and a Drifton Padgett RBI double.

Unfortunately, AU would score 4 runs in the bottom third to take a 6-2 lead scoring on a throwing error, wild pitch and two singles. a two-run homer then made it 8-2 Cougars in the 6th before the Bishops scored two runs in the 7th to get within four at 8-4. SS Tyson Bass' RBI triple and 3B Jackson Hobbs' sac fly drove in the runs.

 In the 9th, Wesleyan would get to within two runs with a Bass two-run homer before a throwing error by Averett would bring home two more runs to tie the game.

However, AU would score the winning run in the 11th on a fielder's choice RBI off junior reliever Chandler Padgett. Cheeley struck out four over 3 innings while junior reliever Clayton Gilmore came in for Cheeley in the 4th and threw the next 4 innings allowing just two runs on one hit with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. Reliever Alex Crosby also tossed a scoreless inning with a strikeout.

Bass led the offense going 3 for 6 with 3 RBIs falling a double short of hitting for the cycle. Padgett also recorded a multi-hit game knocking two doubles while 2B Davie Morgan registered 3 hits as well going 3 for 6 with 3 runs scored. Hobbs, LF Zach Lyon, and catcher Jaiden Barker also all recorded multi-hit games in the loss as the Bishops piled up 16 hits.

Wesleyan falls to 15-10 on the season and suffered their first conference loss going to 8-1 while Averett improved to 10-17 and 4-5 in the East Division.

The Bishops will next be in action on Tuesday with a 3:30 game at Randolph-Macon.