GREENSBORO, N.C. – Jordan Slate had three hits, including a three-run homer in the sixth, to help Guilford College split Sunday’s baseball doubleheader with visiting Case Western Reserve. The Quakers won the nightcap, 14-4, after Bradley Potter and Jose Vega pitched the Spartans to a 4-2 win in the opener.
After Case Western Reserve (3-1) stopped Guilford’s (6-3) five-game winning streak, the Quakers’ bats came alive in game two to open a 7-1 lead after two innings. Senior Zack Montalbano had a two-run single in the first and Will Byrd had a two-run single in Guilford’s five-run second. Sam Alexander hit a three-run homer in the third for Case Western, but the Quakers answered with three unearned runs in the bottom half of the inning for a 10-4 edge.
The offensive outburst made a winner out of rookie Justin Morrison (2-1), who fanned five and walked none in a complete-game performance. Montalbano was four-for-four with four RBI and Slate finished with three RBI.
In the opener, Potter (1-0) kept the Quakers off balance for the first six innings before tiring in the seventh and giving way to Vega, who recorded the game’s final two outs. Matt Keen belted a two-run homer and Alexander added a two-out RBI single in the Spartans’ three-run third inning. Peter Zak’s two-out RBI single scored an unearned run and opened a 4-0 lead in the fifth. Keen, Alexander, Matt Ossola and Andrew Frey had two hits apiece. Potter fanned four and walked one in 6.1 innings of seven-hit ball.
Guilford opens its league schedule Saturday (3/3) against visiting Lynchburg College in the end of the Quakers’ 11-game homestand.