BRIDGEWATER, Va. – Bridgewater College tuned up for an important week of conference games with a 24-0 victory Wednesday over Catholic University in a non-conference contest.
Senior right-hander Nick Corbin gave the Eagles a strong effort on the mound, working seven shutout innings to pick up the victory. He allowed just three hits while walking three batters and striking out six.
The Eagles (25-8) scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the first inning. Nick Fulk led off with a single and moved to second on a groundout. A single by Bryan Sanderson put runners at the corners and a single by Justin Petock put Bridgewater on the board. With runners at second and third, Ryan Leake grounded a single up the middle to score both Sanderson and Petock, giving the Eagles a 3-0 lead. Zach Hynes then belted a homer to rightcenter for a 5-0 Bridgewater advantage.
Corbin worked out of trouble in the second as a walk to Andrew Stewart an opposite field double by Eric Scamardella and a walk to Jimmy Davis loaded the bases with one out. Corbin then induced Mike McFarland to hit into an inning-ending double play to hang another zero on the board. The double play was the first of four turned by the Eagles infield during the contest.
Bridgewater's lead grew to 8-0 when Howell lofted a three-run homer to the short porch in right in the bottom of the second.
Howell launched a solo homer to rightcenter in the fourth to make it 9-0 and two more runs in the fifth pushed the margin to 11-0. Hunter Hensley led off the fifth with a walk and moved to third on a pair of wild pitches. Hensley scored on Fulk's grounder to second, making the score 10-0. Derrik Walling was hit by a pitch and two wild pitches send him to third. He scored on a single by Sanderson for an 11-0 Eagles lead.
Bridgewater erupted for 10 more runs in the sixth. Darren Yoder singled home the first run of the inning and, with the bases loaded, a single by Kenner Berry chased home two more runs, making the score 14-0. Andrew Saunders plated a run with a sacrifice fly and Cavin Clyde knocked in a run with a double to deep center for a 16-0 lead. Bay Liskey followed with a two-run single, making the score 18-0. Brandon Poole reached on a single and a wild pitch moved Poole to second and Liskey to third. Steven Woerner then added a two-run single up the middle, giving the Eagles a 20-0 advantage. A pair of walks loaded the bases before Reed was hit by a pitch, forcing in Bridgewater's 21st run.
The Eagles completed their scoring with a three-run seventh. Poole plated a run with a double to left and Woerner drove home his third run with a sacrifice fly. Dustin Garst singled home Bridgewater's final run of the game, making the score 24-0.
A total of 14 different batters had at least hit for the Eagles with Howell leading the way with a 3-for-4 day at the plate. Howell also drove in four runs as 15 different Eagles had at least one RBI.
On the mound, Ryan Fitzgerald and Robert Gallet followed Corbin and each pitched one scoreless frame to complete the shutout.