College Baseball Finals: Guilford 5-7, Bridgewater 7-6

GREENSBORO, N.C.—Austin Wilson (Lewisville, N.C./Reagan) connected on a walk-off single up the middle to help Guilford College salvage a split of a Saturday afternoon Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) doubleheader against Bridgewater College. The Eagles claimed game one, 7-5, while the Quakers fought back to claim the nightcap, 7-6. The Eagles are receiving votes in the latest D3Baseball.com Top 25 poll.

Guilford (7-17, 3-10 ODAC) chipped away at the Bridgewater (14-6-1, 5-6 ODAC) advantage after the Eagles took a 4-0 lead after three innings of game two, scoring runs in five of the final six innings. Both teams traded runs in the eighth inning before Justin Morrison (High Point, N.C./High Point Christian) struck out Josh Lasam looking to leave Bridgewater’s final pitcher, Ryan Leake, stranded at third base. A Josh Shepherd infield-single set the wheels in motion for the Quaker comeback as Shepherd was advanced to second base on a Logan Jones sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Wilson grounded a single up the middle to claim the win.

The effort followed a tight game one where both teams left a combined 25 runners on base and combined to commit seven errors. Bridgewater held a 6-1 lead after three innings, but the Quakers staged a comeback bid in the middle innings with four runs before the Eagles closed the door in the final three innings, retiring the Quakers after placing runners at the corners in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Josh Shepherd led Quaker bats, finishing 6-for-8 on the afternoon with a double and one RBI, the only Quaker to amass three hits in each contest and was one of two Quakers with three hits in each individual contest. Tyler Petersen finished 4-for-8 including a 3-for-3 effort in game two where he finished a home run short of hitting for the cycle. Herc Ingels drove in two runs throughout the afternoon while Jacob Roberts collected his two RBI during the first contest.

Bridgewater’s Kenner Berry led the Eagles, batting 6-for-9 during the doubleheader with a double and three RBI. Austin Batten and Brendan Howell each totaled 3 RBI a piece throughout the afternoon while Leake finished 4-for-9 at the plate.

Chase Shuford (1-6) took the game one loss for the Quakers giving up six runs (three un-earned) on five hits while fanning and walking two. Lou Trosch gave up just one run on three hits while striking out two in the middle innings while Nick Blackwood (Greensboro, N.C./Wesleyan Christian Academy) gave up just three hits, walked three, and struck out five in the final three innings of game one. John Todd started game two and gave up five runs on nine hits and struck out two in four and one-third inning. Avery Rogers gave up just one hit and struck out three in two and two-thirds innings while Morrison (1-0) gave up just one run on three hits and sat down one batter to claim the win.

Bridgewater’s Steven Woerner (2-1) claimed the game one win giving up five runs (three un-earned) on nine hits while walking four in five and two-thirds innings. Brady Cockerham pitched the final three and one innings and gave up just fur hits and fanned one. Justin Petock threw six innings in a no-decision start in game two and gave up four un-earned runs on six hits. Jarrett Horton relieved Kyle Jones after one out and a run given up in the seventh to record the final two outs before being replaced by Leake, who threw the final one and two-thirds innings and gave up two runs on three hits while walking and striking out two batters a piece.

The Quakers continue ODAC play Tuesday, traveling to Lynchburg College for a 3 p.m. contest.

Game 2

SCORE BY INNINGS               R  H E
Bridgewater  1 0 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 6 13 3
Guilford     0 0 0 2 2 0 1 1 1 7 11 2

Game 1

SCORE BY INNINGS              R  H E
Bridgewater 1 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 7 11 3
Guilford    1 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 5 13 4