MOCKSVILLE, N.C. – Pilling up 15 runs in the final three innings, the Guilford College baseball team put together arguably their most balanced effort thus far this season, pulling away late to rout Carolina University, 16-2 on Tuesday night at Mando Field at Rich Park.
With the win, the Quakers come away with a season split against the Bruins, avenging their late-February defeat in Greensboro, as they improve to 7-12 overall. On the other side, CU drops to 7-10-1 on the year.
Jacob Phillips (Brown Summitt, N.C.) got the start for Guilford and across 4.0 innings he dealt with lots of traffic on the bases, with nine men reaching safely including seven who did so with hits. Nonetheless, he kept the Bruins off the scoreboard although he did not qualify for the win. Tanner Royals (High Point, N.C.) threw the next 4.0 innings in relief for GC, allowing one run on three hits and two walks while fanning five, and earning the win to improve to 2-1. Jovany Pedraza Mendez got the nod for the home team, holding the Quakers to just one hit and one walk in 3.1 scoreless frames, but did not factor into the decision. John Luegering ended up tagged with the loss as he allowed five runs on four hits and a walk in 1.2 innings in relief, falling to 2-2.
Every Guilford batter that appeared scored at least once in the win, with six players registering multiple hits. Ethan George (Burlington, N.C.) and Reese Baker (Ashland, Va.) had three knocks each, including a double and scoring twice, Baker also drove in three runs in the game. Chase Wade (Archdale, N.C.) enjoyed a big day, matching his career-high for runs batted in with four across two hits including a home run. Alexiel Delgado and Angel Martinez each had a pair of knocks to lead the Bruins, one of Delgado's hits was a double while he drove in one of their two runs with Jacob Ananias plating the other.
The first four innings were uneventful with Phillips and Mendez and then Chase Locklar trading zeros on the scoreboard before the Quakers broke the ice in the top of the fifth. Baker led off the inning getting hit by a pitch and was sacrificed over on a bunt by Adam Anderson (Gastonia, N.C.). In what can only be described as a wild sequence Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) rocketed a grounder to first that got through the legs of the first baseman despite him dropping to a knee to block it. With some good aggressive baserunning, Baker came home from second on the play, and although Dark was thrown out trying to take second, Guilford had a 1-0 lead.
Carolina tied it on an RBI-double by Delgado in the sixth before GC broke things open in the seventh. Josh Howard (Salem, Va.) singled and Baker sacrificed him to second. Anderson singled putting men on the corners before a wild pitch put the Quakers up for good. Dark drove in Anderson with a single then a hit by George and a walk drawn by Isaiah Hairston (High Point, N.C.) loaded the bases. Aaron Williams (Mocksville, N.C.) drew a free pass forcing in a run then Wade had a sac fly. Nick Boles (Madison, N.C.) walked, reloading the based before, in his second plate appearance of the inning, Howard drew GC's second bases-loaded walk of the inning as another run was forced across the dish. Baker capped off the seven-run rally with a two-run single as Guilford had opened up an 8-1 advantage.
The Quakers posted another crooked number in the top of the ninth. Howard and Baker singled and Anderson brought them both in with a two-bagger. He would later score on a wild pitch, more-or-less resetting things for the top of the lineup. Dark and George walked, Hairston doubled in another tally then two batters later, Wade got ahold of a 1-1 offering and sent it over the fence for his first longball of the season. Baker plated one more run with a double later in the frame as the lead had swelled to 16-1.
The Bruins got one in the bottom of the ninth on an Ananias infield hit but it was far too little, far too late as the score came to a 16-2 final.
GC returns to McBane Field tomorrow for a mid-week conference contest against Ferrum beginning at 3:00 PM.
GoQuakes