WINCHESTER, Va. – No. 4/6 Shenandoah University completed its weekend USA South Conference baseball sweep of N.C. Wesleyan with a 20-10 victory Saturday afternoon at Bridgeforth Field.
Shenandoah (11-0, 4-0 USA South) earns its first-ever regular season sweep of the Bishops (4-11, 1-3) with the 10-run win.
SU appeared to be in position to end the contest early for the second straight day due to the USA South Conference mercy rule, but NCWC rallied with five runs in the seventh and one more in the eighth to extend the contest.
The Hornets banged out 21 hits in the win with all nine starters getting at least one hit. Four players - Kevin Brashears, Greg Van Sickler, Nick Beall and Keaton Neeb - registered at least three hits each.
Brashears led this group with a 4 for 5 day that included a pair of home runs.
Brashears' classmate, Clint DeHaven, joined Brashears in going deep. DeHaven closed out the hosts scoring on the day with a two-run shot to right center in the eighth.
Shenandoah, which is now averaging 12.6 runs per game and hitting a collective .399, scored three runs in the first, one in the second, five in third and then seven in the fourth to blow Saturday's game wide open.
The contest was tied at 3-3 heading into the bottom of the second before Brashears gave the hosts the lead for good with a solo shot off of a 0-2 pitch with one out in the third.
SU sent at least nine men to the plate in both the third and fourth innings and had a runner reach base in every inning except the seventh.
Senior Mike Smith (1-0) was the winning pitcher with 4.0 innings of relief work. He allowed one run on four hits and one walk while striking out four.
Hornets starter Vince Claudio gave up three runs on five hits before departing after walking the leadoff batter in the third.
Max Knowles (0-2) took the loss. He surrendered nine runs on 11 hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. Knowles was one of four pitchers that the Bishops used this afternoon.
Shenandoah travels to Eastern Mennonite on Monday for a non-league contest. Senior Ben Hendrickson (2-0) is the Hornets scheduled starter.