BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College baseball team (22-17) earned its first-ever trip to the USA South Conference Championship Series with a 5-3 win over Pfeiffer University (21-21) on Saturday morning in a special 9 a.m. start at Gil Coan Field on the BC campus.
 
The victory gave Brevard the Bracket 2 win, as the Tornados advance to face North Carolina Wesleyan in the championship series, held in Rocky Mount, North Carolina beginning next Friday, May 10 at 5 p.m.
 
The Tornados used a seven-inning gem from senior right-handed pitcher Cameron Cook (4-2) and a save out of the bullpen from freshman RHP Blake Altschuler to close the door on the two-run win. BC scored a run on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the first, with a pivotal three-run homer off the bat of Lucas Granata coming in the bottom of the third. Luke Morton added an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, and the Tornados were able to fend the Falcons off down the stretch to clinch the 5-3 win.
 
Morton, Cale Oehler, Kenny Pridmore, and Logan Sawyer all had two hits apiece as Brevard recorded 12 as a team. Granata led all Tornados with three RBI - logging BC's only extra-base hit of the ballgame - while Brevard overcame a total of 13 runners left on the basepaths.
 
Cook struck out a career-high seven batters in his final home contest of his senior season, allowing just five hits and two earned runs. Altschuler logged his first collegiate save, inheriting a bases-loaded jam in the top of the eighth. The Concord, North Carolina native allowed just one runner to cross that inning, and got a pair of Falcons looking in the top of the ninth to book BC's trip to Rocky Mount.
 
BC notched a run in the bottom of the first with a two-out rally, as Colson Miller was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring Morton around to score and give Brevard the 1-0 lead.
 
Cook worked around a two-out baserunner in both the first and second innings, and dodged damage in the top of the third after a Pfeiffer two-out single and a Tornado throwing error, getting out of the frame with a strikeout.
 
Granata came through for the Tornados in the bottom of the third after back-to-back singles by Oehler and Vasquez, and a successful sacrifice bunt by Miller. The Wake Forest, North Carolina junior rifled a three-run homer into the Tornado bullpen over the left-field fence, pushing the Tornado lead to four runs.
 
After a 1-2-3 inning for Cook and the BC defense in the top of the fourth, the Falcons used a two-out rally in the top of the fifth with a Zach Ferrell double and Wilson Lohrer RBI single to score their first run of the game and cut the deficit down to three, 4-1.
 
Brevard answered back in the bottom of the fifth, as with one out two straight singles and a hit-by-pitch set up an RBI single by Morton, as the Tornados pushed their advantage back up to four runs.
 
Each side threw a zero up on the scoreboard in the sixth inning, as Cook returned to the mound to work the top of the seventh with a four-run cushion, 5-1. The Falcons were able to use a HBP and a double to put two runners into scoring position, and capitalized on an RBI groundout to cut the deficit to three.
 
Two HBP and a single loaded the bases vs. Andy Fahringer, as the Tornados brought Altschuler on in relief. The freshman forced two consecutive flyouts, one being a sacrifice fly that trimmed the Falcon deficit to two runs, but a groundout ended the inning.
 
The Falcons got a one-out single to bring the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth, but Altschuler clutched up with a pair of looking strikeouts as Brevard punched its ticket to the championship.
 
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