ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. - The NC Wesleyan College Baseball team splt their weekend games with William Peace to win the series after dominating on Friday. WPU first rallied from behind to steal a game two win 10-8 on Saturday before the Bishops came back to win a 31-run extra-inning thriller by walking off with the 16-15 win on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning.

GAME 3: NCWC 16, WPU 15 (10 innings)

In the craziest game of the weekend that featured 31 combined runs and 31 hits and 7 errors, the Bishops would get off to a fast start jumping out to a 7-2 lead on Peace through the first inning on Sunday. Wesleyan used back-to-back two-run doubles from Scott and outfielder Zach Lyon to lead 4-2 before a walk and a two-run error from WPU made it 7-2. 2B Davie Morgan and CF Drifton Padgett then followed with RBI singles in the 3rd and 4th inning to give NCWC a 9-4 lead after four. 

Then an RBI double from sophomore SS Tyson Bass out Wesleyan up 10-5 after 5 innings. However, this is when Peace would begin their comeback with a 6-run 6th inning capped by a grand slam and a two-run double as the Pacers would take an 11-10 lead on the Bishops. 

Sophomore 3B Jackson Hobbs would then stroll to the plate in the 7th and give the Bishops the lead right back with his two-run homer to center before a Padgett RBI double made it 13-11 through 7. WPU would then regain the lead in the 8th inning with a three-run frame to re-take the lead at 14-13 before Wesleyan tied it in the bottom of the 8th on Morgan's RBI single. Peace then grabbed a 15-14 lead in the ninth off reliever Payne Stolsworth and came within one out of the win in the bottom of the ninth before catcher Jean Lagreca's clutch RBI single tied it at 15. Wesleyan then left the bases loaded pushing the game into the 10th inning.

A leadoff double from Hobbs in the 10th then led to him scoring the winning run on a wild pitch to grab the thrilling win for the Bishops. Junior closer Chandler Padgett then secured the win with his two innings of scoreless ball. Freshman starter Dylan Cheeley went 4 innings allowing 5 runs on 5 hits with 4 walks and 3 strikeouts.

Morgan led the offense with 4 hits and 3 RBIs along with two walks as he reached base 6 times while Lyon reached base 6 times as well on a double and five walks as he drove in three runs and scored four times. Padgett also had a three-hit day while Lagreca knocked two hits off the bench. 

GAME 2: WPU 10, NCWC 8

In the second game of the series on Saturday, the Bishops jumped out to a 7-0 lead through the first four innings. However, they would then be limited to just one run over the final 5 innings as WPU oustcored the Bishops 10-1 to steal the come-from-behind win.

Wesleyan received RBI singles from sophomore DH Blake Scott and 3B Jackson Hobbs as well as sacrifice flies from senior 1B Emry Jackson and sophomore RF Alex Moskal. Moskal and Davie Morgan also each stole home as well. Hobbs, Scott, Moskal, and junior catcher Jean Lagreca all registered two-hit games to lead the Bishops.

On the pitching side, sophomore starter and current Pitcher of the Week Danny Thompson threw 5 innings allowing just 3 runs on 6 hits while walking four and striking out three. Senior reliever Kevin Williams then came on in the 6th and threw 2 and 1/3 innings allowing 4 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits and one walk with 4 strikeouts while fellow junior reliever Chandler Padgett threw the final 1 and 2/3 innings allowing three runs on 4 hits with 3 strikeouts to get saddled with the loss (4-2).

Wesleyan improves to 17-12 overall and 10-2 in the conference with the big win while WPU falls to 16-13 and 6-6 in conference.

The Bishops next return to action on Wednesday with a 2:00 road game at Ferrum College.