ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – The Brevard College baseball team (14-9, 7-2 USAS) secured its first NCAA DIII series win over a ranked opponent, clinching the three-game set with an 18-9 win in the first game of a doubleheader vs. no. 18 North Carolina Wesleyan University on Saturday afternoon in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
The Tornados used a massive 10-run seventh inning to secure the win over the nationally-ranked Battling Bishops. NC Wesleyan salvaged the third game of the series, using a six-run seventh inning to complete a comeback over Brevard, winning 12-9 in the series finale.
Senior ourfielder Logan Clark exploded with a four-hit performance in the first game of the doubleheader, scoring four runs and adding two RBI. CP Pyle drove in a career-high six RBI, launching his first career home run as a Tornado while going 2-for-2 at the plate with two runs scored. Colston Miller also recorded a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-5, while Logan Sawyer recorded two hits – including a double – with a run scored and three RBI.
Junior right-handed pitcher Jacob Thompson got the start for the Tornados, lasting five innings surrendering seven hits, five runs, and striking out two batters. Cesar Rodriguez (1-0) was the pitcher of record for Brevard, going an inning allowing five hits and three earned runs, pitching on the heels of BC's 10-run seventh inning. For the second-straight game, Aaron Burchett closed the door on a nationally-ranked opponent, lasting three innings with five hits and an earned run while recording three strikeouts for his first collegiate save.
BC got on the board first when Miller singled home Frankie Vasquez in the top of the second. NC Wesleyan answered back in the bottom of the third with a solo home run. The game remained deadlocked at 1-1 until the top of the fifth when Hayden Jennings punched through a two-RBI single into left field that brought Clark and Cale Oehler around to score. The Battling Bishops punched back, however, in the bottom of the frame, scorting four runs to take a 5-3 edge through five innings played. Brevard tacked on a run in the top of the sixth with an RBI groundout to trim the deficit to one run, 5-4.
BC's monster top of the seventh started as Vasquez and Pyle were both hit by pitches, while Jennings reached to load the bases up. After a strikeout, Sawyer hit a two-RBI double that gave BC a one-run lead, 6-5. Nico Bartolotti and Luke Morton then drew consecutive walks to score BC's third run of the inning, while Clark roped a two-RBI single into single to make it a 9-5 Tornado lead.
The damage continued when Vasquez was hit by his second pitch of the inning. This tied an all-time NCAA DIII record for single-inning hit-by-pitches, as it resulted in a 10-5 lead for the Tornados. All told, Brevard was hit by nine pitches in the ballgame, smashing the single-game program high.
Pyle capped off the monumental seventh inning with his first career grand slam, pushing BC's lead up to nine runs, 14-5. All told, Brevard scored 10 runs on just three credited hits in the inning, taking advantage of five hit batters and four walks.
Burchett came on to limit the NC Wesleyan damage in the bottom of the seventh, as the Battling Bishops scored three off Rodriguez to cut into BC's lead, 14-8. Brevard added some necessary insurance runs with three in the eight and one in the ninth to complete the high-scoring victory and clinch the series, 18-9.
In yet another high-scoring affair in this USA South season for the Tornados, NC Wesleyan opened up the game with five runs through the first two innings, jumping on BC early. Oehler answered back with an RBI double in the top of the third, followed by Clark scoring on an error. Pyle drove in Oehler with a sacrifice fly, while Bartolotti punched an RBI single through, capping off a four-run third for the Tornados.
Sawyer launched a solo home run in the top of the fourth that tied the game up, 5-5, while Lucas Granata came around on a passed ball that gave BC the lead, 6-5.
Granata launched a home run to left field, a solo shot in the top of the sixth to extend BC's edge to a 7-5 margin through six innings played. However, the Battling Bishops were able to find their stride off the Tornado bullpen in the bottom of the seventh, striking for seven runs in the seventh and adding a score in the bottom of the eight to retake the lead, 12-7, with three outs left.
Clark hit a one-out double in the top of the ninth and advanced to third on a groundout, as BC found itself down to its final out. Jennings knocked in Clark on an RBI single, and Bartolotti singled up the middle to score Pyle, cutting the margin to just three runs at 12-9. A wild pitch moved Bartolotti and Jennings into scoring position, and Vasquez came in to pinch hit as the tying run, but the Battling Bishops forced a strikeout to salvage game three.
Bartolotti, Clark, Granata, and Jennings all had two hits apiece for Brevard, with the freshman Bartlotti knocking in a team-high two runs while Granata and Clark each came around to score twice. Clark, Granata, Jennings, and Oehler all logged doubles, with Granata and Sawyer both launching home runs in the final game of the series.
Blake Altschuler earned the start for the Tornados, working five innings with six hits and four earned runs charged to his ledger, striking out three batters. Kalen Milstead and Kaden Tuten both worked in relief for the Tornados.
Brevard is back in action next weekend, kicking off a pivotal three-game series with Methodist at home. The series begins with a doubleheader on Saturday. April 6 starting at 1 p.m.
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