College Baseball Final – Pfeiffer 3, Guilford 2

Gauge Gantt’s fifth-inning sacrifice fly scored the winning run in Pfeiffer University’s 3-2 win over visiting Guilford College in nonconference baseball action Wednesday.

The Quakers (5-7) went ahead in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Brett Shapcott and a double steal of home by Giovanni Garcia. Pfeiffer (6-3) answered with a pair off of senior Parker Brann (0-1), who entered the game in relief of starter Zach Dinkins in the top of the fifth. The Falcons scored the tying run without benefit of a hit after a walk, hit batsman, balk, and a wild pitch plated Pfeiffer’s second run. Gantt, who also doubled in the game, followed with a fly ball to center that scored Kirby Lambert with what proved the winning run.

Three Falcon pitchers shut down Guilford’s comeback hopes with three-and-a-third innings of scoreless relief of starter Holden Carter (1-0). Bryce Marsh fanned two Quakers in the ninth for his first save of the season.

Mason Striplin and Zach Ferrell both had two hits. The Falcons took advantage of seven Guilford walks and a hit batsman. In addition to his go-ahead sacrifice fly, Gantt threw out five would-be Quakers’ base stealers.

Shapcott and Dylan Tuttle led Guilford’s offense with two hits apiece. Ty Walser fanned four in two innings of scoreless relief.

Coach Nick Black’s ’02 Quakers host Randolph-Macon College in his team’s Old Dominion Athletic Conference openers this weekend. Due to the forecast of rain, the Quakers and Yellow Jackets will play two nine-inning games Saturday (3/9) starting at 12 noon, instead of one game Saturday and another Sunday.