ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. - The top-seeded NC Wesleyan University Baseball team rode the arm of senior pitcher Kevin Williams as he tossed a 4-hit complete game to help the Bishops defeat #2 seed Huntingdon College 5-1 on Saturday in the USA South Bracket 1 Finale from Bauer Field.
The Bishops improve to 28-15 on the year with their fifth straight win and will now travel down to West top seed LaGrange College (Ga.) next weekend in the USA South Championship series. Game one will be Friday at a time TBA.
Williams threw all nine innings allowing just one run on 4 hits while walking four and striking out four. Williams gave up an RBI double in the first to the Hawks (26-15) and then proceeded to throw 8 shutout innings improving to 3-1 on the season with a 3.00 ERA. Williams' complete game was the second one of the weekend for Wesleyan pitchers as Conference Pitcher of the Year Derrick Carter also threw one on Thursday to defeat Piedmont.
Freshman 3B Javier Quintana then got the Bishops on the board in the 4th inning with an RBI single scoring senior LF Zach Lyon. Junior catcher Jaiden Barker's RBI double then followed to make it 2-1 before Quintana came around to score on a wild pitch to put Wesleyan up 3-1 after four innings.
In the 6th, the Battling Bishops added two insurance runs as Barker again roped an RBI single to score junior CF Drifton Padgett, who had singled and stole second. Quintana then walked and advanced to third on a single and wild pitch before scoring on another wild pitch to put the Bishops up 5-1. Barker then tried to score on a Tyson Bass flyout but was thrown out at home to end the 6th.
Williams then took care of the rest allowing just one hit over the final three frames for the win. Lyon and Barker led the Bishops with multi-hit games while infielders Davie Morgan, Jackson Hobbs and Quintana also all recorded singles for the Bishops' 8-hit attack.
Best-of-Three Championship Series (Played at LaGrange)
Friday, May 13
Game 1: #1 East-N.C. Wesleyan at #1 West-LaGrange - 6:00 PM
Saturday, May 14
Game 2: #1 East-N.C. Wesleyan at #1 West-LaGrange - 2:00 PM
Game 3 (if necessary): #1 East-N.C. Wesleyan at #1 West-LaGrange - 40 minutes after game two concludes (approx. 5:30)
