MARYVILLE, Tenn. – The Maryville College Baseball Team (5-1) scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat visiting Emory & Henry College (2-4) Tuesday afternoon at Scotland Yard.
MC got on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Greg Burland was hit by a pitch to lead the inning off and found himself standing on second after a wild pitch. Chris Hamilton then singled to left field to drive in the game's first run. With Hamilton on third three batters later, Nick Dean hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to make the score 2-0.
The Scots pushed the advantage to 4-0 after the fourth inning. Garrett Gresham highlighted the frame with a run-scoring double to left center for Maryville.
Emory & Henry got things going in the top of the seventh stanza. With two runners on and no outs, senior designated hitter D.J. Russ (Greensboro, N.C.) singled to left field to put the Wasps on the board. A two-run single to left by sophomore left fielder Ben Barnett (Knoxville, Tenn.) made it 4-3. E&H scored twice more in the inning to take its first lead of the game, 5-4.
Maryville knotted the game at five with a run in the bottom of the seventh as Andrew Mabini flied out to right field, scoring Zack Blonder.
The Wasps retook the lead in the eighth as sophomore third baseman Chase Kirk (Knoxville, Tenn.) got things going with a two-out single up the middle. After a wild pitch, Kirk was on second and in scoring position, and was driven home by freshman Hunter Jeffries' (Hickory, N.C.) base hit to left.
Maryville got back on top with a two-run performance in its half of the eighth. With one out and runners on second and third, Landon Talley grounded out to second base to drive home the tying run. The Scots went ahead for good on the next at bat as Blonder singled down the left field line.
E&H was unable to get a baserunner in the top of the ninth, falling to MC, 7-6.
Maryville was led at the plate by Gresham, John McDermott and Coleman Sullivan as they each had two hits. Hamilton scored a pair of runs in the game reaching base three times on a base hit and two walks. The Scots used four pitchers in the contest with Sean Holton pitching six innings of shutout ball with just two hits and two strikeouts. Joe Jones got credit for the win in relief while Matt Dyer picked up the save.
Kirk led all players at the plate as he went three-for-four on the day with a pair of runs scored. Barnett had a pair of RBI and scored a run with his single in the seventh while Woullard, Russ and Jeffries each had a hit and a RBI in the game. Kirk fell to 0-1 on the year after allowing three runs on five hits in two innings of relief. Freshmen Garrett Butler (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Caelan Canady (Browns Summit, N.C.) each allowed two runs in three innings of work with four strikeouts apiece.
Emory & Henry will next take the field on Saturday afternoon when it travels to Harrisonburg for its first Old Dominion Athletic Conference doubleheader of the season. The Wasps will take on the Royals of Eastern Mennonite University beginning at noon.
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