Box Score Game box (pdf)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – In the second game of the weekend series, the Wofford College baseball team held on for a 6-5 win over Eastern Kentucky at Russell C. King Field on Saturday. The Terriers scored five runs in the sixth inning to take a 6-1 lead, but the Colonels came back with four unearned runs in the top of the ninth for the 6-5 final score.
Wofford is 8-7 overall and Eastern Kentucky is 5-9 overall. The Terriers had a strong outing from starter Jesse Morris, going 8.1 innings and giving up just two hits. Matt Pelt and Stephen Cantrell each had two hits and an RBI for Wofford. The Colonels had four players with one hit each in the contest.
The second batter of the game for the Colonels, Dustin Dunlop, hit a solo home run to left field for an early 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the third inning, Wofford led off with a single by Matt Moore and Matt Pelt added a single, but a double play ended the inning. After the Colonels were retired in order, Wofford opened the bottom of the fourth with a double by Mac Doyle. The Terriers left two runners on base at the end of the inning.
Wofford had a double by Stephen Cantrell in the bottom of the fifth. A single up the middle by Matt Pelt scored Cantrell to tie the game at 1-1. Eastern Kentucky went down in order in the top of the sixth.
The Terriers had a double by Mac Doyle and a single by Eric Brenk to put runners on the corners in the bottom of the sixth with one out. A double steal scored Doyle for a 2-1 lead and wild pitch scored Brenk from third for a 3-1 game. Matt Moore laid down a sacrifice bunt that plated a run and Stephen Cantrell had an RBI single to take a 5-1 lead. Another run was scored on an RBI single by David Roney to make it 6-1 after six innings.
In the top of the ninth, the Colonels got things going with a walk and two base runners on Wofford errors to score one run. A groundout and an RBI single from Alex Hughes cut the lead to 6-4. With the bases loaded, a balk plated a run to make it 6-5 with one out. A strikeout and fielder’s choice ended the game with the bases loaded.
Wofford starter Jesse Morris (1-0) went a career-high 8.1 innings and allowed four runs, only one of which was earned, on two hits with eight strikeouts. Eric Eck went the final two-thirds of an inning and allowed two hits and an unearned run along with one strikeout for his fourth save of the season.
Eastern Kentucky starter Greg Tarry (1-1) went 5.1 innings and allowed ten hits and four runs with two strikeouts. Chase Greene worked a third of an inning and gave up two hits and two runs. Austin Rexroat went 1.1 innings and did not allow a hit. Lincoln Wagner threw the final inning and had one strikeout without allowing a hit.
The Terriers series with the Colonels concludes on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Next week Wofford will host East Tennessee State on Wednesday night.
