NASHVILLE, Tenn. – With a 4-3 lead after two innings, the Wofford baseball team tacked on five more in the top of the third to pull away for good, racing to a comfortable 14-5 victory over Belmont in game one of the series at E.S. Rose Park. The Terriers improve their winning streak to six games and record to 12-7. The Bruins drop to 13-6.
Holden Wilder (1-0) earned his first win of the season in 2.1 innings as the first reliever out of the bullpen. He allowed no runs and just two hits while striking out three.
Dom Marcoccio started for the Terriers, tossing 2.0 innings and surrendering three runs (two earned).
Luke Stephens hurled 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk with two punchouts.
Clay Schwaner struck out one in 2.0 innings with no runs or hits and only a walk allowed.
Zach Byron closed the game out by pitching the final inning, giving up two runs and striking out one.
Belmont starter Joshua South (2-1) suffered the loss after 3.0 innings and allowing nine runs (seven earned) on nine hits and one walk.
The Wofford bats remained scorching hot, posting 13 hits in the affair.
John Dempsey kept his hot hand alive, tallying four hits in five at-bats with an RBI and a home run.
Jack Renwick also blasted a long ball, totaling two hits and a team-leading three RBI.
Ryan Galanie,
Lawson Hill and
Marshall Toole each also knocked two hits, with Hill and Toole bringing home two RBI.
Nolen Hester also recorded two runs batted in even with no hits on the day.
The Terriers opened the scoring with four runs in the second inning, with only two batted balls leaving the infield. One of those was a flyout that led the inning off with an out. However, three infield singles and a lineout to second base had the bases juiced with two outs, and a Belmont wild pitch allowed
John Dempsey to race home for the game's first run.
Ryan Galanie walked to re-load the bases, and
Nolen Hester brought a second score in when he was hit by a pitch.
Lawson Hill then singled up the middle for only the second ball to reach the outfield grass in the frame, scoring two and giving Wofford the early 4-0 advantage.
The Bruins responded quickly, though, halving the lead in the bottom of the second on one swing of the bat. A two-run homer started things off for Belmont, who later plated a third run in the inning with a single to right field. Wofford led 4-3 after two.
It was then Wofford's turn for a quick response, as the Terriers tacked on five runs in the top of the third to pull away. First,
Brice Martinez reached on a fielder's choice that brought home
Trey Yunger. An error on a sacrifice bunt attempt allowed
Marshall Toole to reach base and Dempsey to score. Renwick then plated Martinez with a sacrifice fly. Galanie scored Toole with a triple down the right field line, and an RBI sacrifice bunt from
Nolen Hester scored Galanie. The Terrier lead was 9-3.
Wofford kept its foot on the gas pedal, scoring four more in the seventh. A Toole RBI single plated Wofford's 10
th run. More miscues by the Bruins, this time an error on a double steal, allowed Martinez to scurry home. Renwick then belted a two-run shot to left field, punctuating the frame and extending the lead to 13-3.
Not to be outdone, Dempsey went yard himself with a solo bomb to right field in the top of the ninth to give Wofford an insurance run.
With a 14-3 hole to try to climb out of, Belmont gave an effort in the bottom of the ninth. A hit batter with the bases loaded scored a Bruin, and a sacrifice fly cut the lead to nine. It would be all Belmont could muster, however, and Wofford secured the 14-5 win.
Game two of the series between the Terriers and Bruins is slated for 3:00 p.m. ET tomorrow afternoon, with the series finale scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.
