Box Score Box Score (PDF)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford baseball team fell to Presbyterian 3-1 in extra innings Wednesday night at Russell C. King Field. The Terriers had the tying run at first but the game ended on pop fly.
Wofford falls to 7-11 after the loss, and the Blue Hose improve to 11-7. The Terriers were led by Alec Paradowski who drove in Wofford’s lone run. Nathan Chong had two hits and two RBI’s to lead PC.
In the first inning, Wofford loaded the bases after Brett Byrum hit Paradowski, Josh Hyman singled, and Eric Brenk walked. However, all three were stranded after James Plaisted popped up to center to end the inning.
With the game still scoreless, the Terriers threatened again in the bottom of the third but left runners at the corners when Brenk struck out looking. The Blue Hose nearly took the lead in the top of the fourth after a double by Cam McRae and Dominick Del Monte hit Robby Swab. However, Del Monte would escape the jam when he forced Ryan Hagan to fly out to left.
After Wofford left two more runners on base in the bottom of the fourth, PC took the lead in the top of the fifth. Jay Lizanich scored on Chong’s double to left after reaching base with a lead-off walk.
The Terriers tied the game in the seventh when Paradowski drove in Demetrius Jennings from second. Jennings was hit by Byrum then advanced to second on Matthew Kaskow’s sacrifice bunt.
In the ninth, the Blue Hose loaded the bases but a one-out double play ended the frame with score still tied 1-1. In the Wofford half of the inning, Matthew Ramsay reached first on a wild pitch after striking out, then advanced to second on Luke Feisal’s sacrifice bunt, and stole third. However, he would remain there as a pop fly to right and another strike out ended the inning.
In the top of the tenth, PC opened the frame with a walk by Aaron Preston. He was moved to second with a sacrifice bunt by McRae. The Blue Hose loaded the bases after another walk and an error. A perfect bunt down the first base line by Lizanich scored Preston to give PC a 2-1 advantage. The Blue Hose added run to make it 3-1 on Chong’s sacrifice fly to center.
After two quick outs in the Wofford half of the tenth, two walks put the tying run at first and the winning run at the plate. However, after a pitching change a pop fly to second ended the game.
Wofford starter Del Monte went 6.2 innings and gave up one unearned run on four hits. Josh Simpson (0-1) gets the loss for the Terriers.
PC starter Byrum pitched 7.0 innings and only gave up one run on five hits. Chad Sanders (1-1) earned the win after 2.0 scoreless innings of work with two strikeouts. Michael Ricchi (3) earned the save after recording the final out with two runners on base.
Wofford returns to the field on Friday, March 15, when they host The Citadel in the team’s first Southern Conference home series. Game is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. at Russell C. King Field.
