SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford baseball team was in stride Friday evening at Russell C. King Field, downing Le Moyne 13-3 in just seven innings to begin the weekend set. Wofford improves to 9-1 with the win as the Dolphins fall to 0-8.
 
"It keeps our pitching stacked up the way that we need it to for the rest of the weekend," said assistant coach Frederic Reynolds of the run-rule victory. "Guys came in and did their jobs and got some things done."
 
Branton Little (2-0) started for Wofford and earned the win after pitching 5.0 frames with three runs allowed on seven hits. He struck out a career-best seven batters. Austin Laughlin finished off the final 2.0 innings in relief, allowing no hits or runs with his lone blemish being a walk. He struck out two.
 
"I'm really proud of them," said freshman catcher Lucas Grantham of his pitching tandem. "Austin as a freshman, a young guy, just came in here and continued to do his part. And Branton, we know we're going to get great stuff out of him every single weekend, so it's just awesome for him to come out here and do what he's supposed to do."
 
Le Moyne starter Bobby McBride (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up three runs in 2.0 innings of work on two hits and four walks.
 
The Terriers tallied 10 hits in the game with a trio notching a pair each. Adam Haber, Tyler Hare, and Lucas Grantham all recorded two hits with Hare and Grantham each collected two RBI. Haber owned one. Hare reached four total times with two walks, and Grantham added one of his own. Wofford had nearly as many walks as hits with nine free passes drawn. Alongside Hare, Tyler Bak and James Layman each worked two.
 
"I'm seeing the ball well," said Hare of his performance. "It's a testament to the coaching we've got in this club. We're all just putting really good at-bats on the ball, seeing our pitch in the spot, and then doing damage."
 
On the basepaths, the Terriers were a force with seven total swipes. Layman led the way with three as the remaining four were dispersed evenly between a quartet of Terriers.
 
Wofford jumped on the board first with a trio of two-out runs in the bottom of the first. After the first two batters went down on strikes, a pair of singles put two runners on.  A wild pitch allowed the opening run of the contest to score, and not long thereafter a bases-loaded walk brought home another run. Another wild pitch befell the Dolphins for the 3-0 Terrier lead.
 
After a scoreless second, Le Moyne got on the board in the top of the third with a two-run double. However, Wofford responded in the bottom of the frame with four runs. Tyler Bak reached with a single, and Hunter Herndon's single brought Bak home. Tyler Hare immediately followed up with a double to bring home Herndon. After a wild pitch moved Hare to third, Lucas Grantham delivered a single to center to plate Hare. Later in the frame, a balk pushed across another run as the Terrier advantage grew to 7-2.
 
The fourth passed by scoreless, but in the top of the fifth Le Moyne plated a run with an RBI double to bring the margin to 7-3. But Wofford had another four-run response in the bottom of the inning, beginning with back-to-back doubles by Hare and Grantham. A sacrifice fly brought home a run, and a double steal saw James Layman race home safely. Adam Haber's single up the middle pushed another run home, and the Terriers led 11-3.
 
Wofford increased the margin to 10 in the bottom of the sixth with two more runs. A hit batter and two walks loaded the bases, and Ryan Wynn lifted a sacrifice fly that plated Ethan Belk. On the relay in, the Dolphin second baseman threw the ball away trying to get the aggressive running Terriers, allowing Hare to run home for the 13-3 advantage.
 
Austin Laughlin closed the door in the top of the seventh with a 1-2-3 frame to secure the 13-3 triumph in game one of the weekend.
 
Game two of the series is set for tomorrow, March 1. First pitch at Russell C. King Field will be at 4:00 p.m.