Rocky Mount, NC - The N.C. Wesleyan baseball team fell in the series opener to Greensboro on Friday evening, dropping a 7-3 decision at Bauer Field.
The Basics:
Score: N.C. Wesleyan 3, Greensboro 7
Location/Venue:Â Rocky Mount, NC / Bauer Field
Records: N.C. Wesleyan (11-24, 9-10 USA South), Greensboro (23-14, 13-5 USA South)
The Pride used timely hitting and capitalized on a big eighth inning to pull away from the Bishops, despite both teams finishing with seven hits apiece.
Greensboro got on the board in the top of the third with a solo home run from Schroer and added another run in the fifth via a sacrifice fly from Scavone. Wesleyan responded in the bottom half of the fifth when Brady Williams led off with a single and came around to score on a Javier Quintana RBI base hit to left, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
The Pride would tack on another run in the sixth before erupting for four runs in the eighth, highlighted by an Sykes solo homer and a two-run triple from Berini. Berini later scored on a wild pitch to cap the frame and extend the Greensboro lead to 7-1.
The Bishops showed some late fight in the bottom of the eighth, plating two unearned runs after an error by the Greensboro second baseman allowed Seth Jones and Caleb Elias to score. However, the comeback bid would fall short as Wesleyan was unable to mount further offense in the ninth.
Quintana led the Wesleyan offense with a 2-for-5 effort and the team's lone RBI. Elias added a double, while Brady Williams, Jackson Hobbs, Colin Scoggins, and Jackson Ellyson each recorded hits.
On the mound, Marc DeNunzio (3-2) was tagged with the loss after going six innings and allowing three earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts. Preston Workman worked the final three innings in relief, surrendering four runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out two.
Bird earned the win for Greensboro, tossing six solid innings and giving up just one run on five hits while fanning five.
Up Next:
The series will conclude on Saturday at 1:00 PMÂ with a DH at Bauer Field.
