TIGERVILLE, S.C. – The No. 1 nationally-ranked North Greenville University Baseball Team (4-0) defeated Emory & Henry College (1-3) Wednesday afternoon in non-conference play. The Crusaders, who are the defending NCAA Division II National Champions, rallied from a 6-0 deficit to win the game by a 12-7 score.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – No. 1 North Greenville 12, Emory & Henry 7
LOCATION – Tigerville, South Carolina
VENUE – Ray & Bea Dillard Field at Ashmore Park
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (1-3, 0-0 SAC); North Greenville (4-0, 0-0 Carolinas)
How It Happened
Junior third baseman Jared Foley (Sparta, N.C.) got things underway with a ringing leadoff single and came around to score the first run of the game on an RBI double off the bat of junior designated hitter Wayne Mize (Salisbury, N.C.) to give the Wasps the early lead. E&H pushed it to 2-0 in the first on a sacrifice fly from senior outfielder Christian Schmidt (Fuquay Varina, N.C.) that scored Mize.
Junior outfielder Matt Hill (Pineville, N.C.) jumped on the first pitch of the top of the second inning and drove it over the centerfield fence to increase the Emory & Henry lead to 3-0 over the defending national champions.
Mize led off the third with a double down the leftfield line and advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Schmidt and Hill each drew walks to load the bases for fifth-year shortstop Mason Lyda (Mills River, N.C.). Lyda delivered with a bases-clearing double into the right-center field gap to increase the margin to 6-0. The Crusaders responded in the bottom half of the third by sending 12 batters to the plate and scoring eight runs to jump in front 8-6 through three innings.
Foley singled and senior outfielder Tyler Bradley (Bessemer City, N.C.) walked to start the fourth, they each then moved up on a wild pitch. Foley scored on a sacrifice fly from junior first baseman Cole Cunningham (Wake Forest, N.C.) to make it 8-7. North Greenville added three runs in the sixth and one in the eighth on its way to the 12-7 victory.
Evan Loeser earned the win on the mound for the Crusaders and senior Zach Clover (Cary, N.C.) took the loss for E&H. Foley led the offense with three base hits while Lyda had a team-high three RBI. Hill, Schmidt, Cunningham and Mize each also drove in one run.
Up Next
Emory & Henry continues its road trip this weekend against the Trojans of Anderson (S.C.) University in a three-game series. First pitch of Friday's game one is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
—E&H—