Saturday, March 10th, 2007

Baseball Team Earns Dramatic Victory Over Visiting Wesleyan

Despite only 13 hits to be had by both teams, the Piedmont College baseball team was able to plate a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs to steal a 3-2 victory over visiting Wesleyan University tonight at PC's Loudermilk Field. The victory marks the fourth time this season the Lions have won a game in their final at-bat and the first come-from-behind victory in the last inning.

The Lions broke the ice in the second inning with Zac Stein recording a sacrifice fly plating Andy House from third. The Lions held the lead until the top of the eighth when the Cardinals knotted the game on an Alex Mautone RBI single.

Wesleyan added the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth when Rob Coughlin hit a sacrifice fly. With the first two hitters going quietly to start the bottom of the ninth inning the Lions capitalized on a hit by pitch and then a single setting the stage for junior Justin Oates' two-RBI walk-off double giving PC a 3-2 victory.

In their first game of the season Wesleyan received a strong starting performance from Louis Gabel who went six innings striking out seven while allowing only one earned run. Mautone led the offense for WU going 3-4 with an RBI.

For PC Travis Hunt and Justin Vorherr both went 1-2 to lead the offense. Matt Burgess was impressive on the mound going eight innings allowing only six hits and one run while striking out eight.

The victory moves Piedmont to 5-10 overall and drops Wesleyan to 0-1. These two teams will meet again tomorrow, March 11th at Loudermilk Field with game time slated for 3:00.