SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Pitching was the name of the game Tuesday night at Russell C. King Field as Wofford tossed 13 strikeouts and allowed just one hit en route to a 4-0 victory over UNC Asheville. The Terriers improve to 3-1 while the Bulldogs drop also to 3-1.
 
Matthew Marchal (1-1) started for Wofford and earned the win, tossing 4.0 innings of perfect baseball with five punchouts. Freshman Champ Davis followed, allowing just one hit over 3.0 innings and striking out six. Those six punchouts are the most by a Terrier in a game so far in the young campaign. Luke Stephens closed out the final 2.0 innings with a pair of strikeouts.
 
"It's nice. We were just executing pitches," said Stephens of the shutout. "Marchal, Champ, everybody did a really good job throwing strikes, and we'll never complain with putting up nine zeroes."
 
Terrier pitchers did not walk a single batter in the game. On the flip side, Asheville's pitchers issued eight free passes. Wofford's staff opened the game with 6.1 perfect innings, but with a one-out single in the seventh Asheville ended Wofford's combined perfect game bid.
 
"We don't really talk about that much or think about it, but it's pretty cool," said the senior right-hander Marchal of the perfect game bid. "It was a really good staff performance on the night, so we'll take it."
 
Bulldog starter Isaac Williams (0-1) was tagged with the loss after surrendering a run in 3.0 innings of work. Though allowing no hits, he delivered a pair of walks and hit one batter.
 
Wofford's three hits came off the bats of Brice Martinez, Trey Yunger and Jack Renwick. Yunger tallied an RBI, and Renwick recorded two with a double, the lone Terrier extra-base hit. Both Renwick and Martinez added a walk to reach base multiple times. Seven different Terriers drew walks in the contest, led by Dixon Black working two.
 
The Terriers were ferocious on the basepaths, swiping six bases on the night. Yunger and Black notched two steals each. Martinez and Andrew Calhoun each contributed one.
 
Wofford utilized small ball to perfection in the bottom of the first to claim an early lead. After the first two batters worked walks, Brice Martinez dropped down a well-placed sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Trey Yunger then lifted a sacrifice fly to right, allowing Marshall Toole to scurry home for the game's first run.
 
Things were quiet until the bottom of the fourth when Wofford opened up for three runs. A hit batsman and walk placed two runners on, and they duo advanced to second and third with a double steal on a strikeout. Another hit batter loaded the bases, and that's when David Wiley hit into a fielder's choice that plated a run but also saw a runner thrown out, but the Terrier lead grew. Jack Renwick then stepped up and smacked a double down the right field line to score a pair and make the score 4-0.
 
In the top of the seventh, Champ Davis toed the rubber for his third inning of work hoping to keep Wofford's bid for history alive. The Terriers were working on a perfect game, and when the first batter lined out to Ryan Galanie at first, the hopes were still high and alive. Unfortunately, the very next batter would single up the middle to end the combined perfect game bid at 6.1 innings. Despite this, Davis kept the Bulldogs off the board without another hit, and Luke Stephens came in for the final 2.0 innings to close the door and seal the one-hit shutout triumph.
 
"I hate that for Marchal and Luke, but it is what it is," said Davis. "We were able to attack with off-speed and stay in the zone the whole time, and obviously it turned out good with nine zeroes."
 
Wofford remains at home this weekend with a three-game series against Kent State. Game one is set for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch at Russell C. King Field.