GREENSBORO, N.C. – Adam Murray’s walk-off hit-by-pitch with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning put cross-town rival Greensboro College ahead of Guilford College in a Friday evening contest, 4-3. The Friday evening contest took place at NewBridge Bank Park, home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers, the class-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.
Both sides engaged in a pitcher’s duel in the first five innings as John Todd and Greensboro’s Piero Amador kept opposing bats in check. Amador held off the Quakers twice with two runners on base, in the first and fifth innings. Todd closed his outing in the bottom of the fifth inning rallying with two outs to leave the bases loaded after the Quakers induced a double play in the second at-bat.
Greensboro claimed the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning on a throwing error after a Kristopher Taveras double started the inning. Both sides began to trade one-run innings each half-inning as Sammy Gerald countered one half-inning later as he led off the frame with a home run to left field. Taveras answered back with a RBI-single to center field to reclaim the lead for the Pride.
Gulford began to mount a rally in the top of the eighth inning as Logan Washle hit a pop fly to center field to bring home a run to tie the game on his sacrifice fly, 2-2, while recording the second out of the inning. Joe Metts replicated the effort in the next inning as the Quakers loaded the bases with one out. Metts popped out to left field, driving home Michael Pinkston as the Quakers claimed the lead.
Taveras struck again with one out with a RBI-single in the bottom of the ninth to start Greensboro’s rally. Guilford intentionally walked pinch-htter Blake Glass to face Adam Murray with the bases loaded, who took a pitch off of his body to claim the win.
Mitchell Stumpo and Washle produced Guilford’s multi-hit efforts in the evening’s contest, each batting two-for-four with Washle posting the RBI. Guilford’s bottom third of the batting order, led by Gerald, posted four of Guilford’s eight hits.
Taveras finished three-for-five with two RBI to lead Greensboro while Murray and Michael Faul each hit two-for-four.
Todd struck out three and walked two in his five-inning no-decision start. Ryan Hill threw three innings of relief, striking out two, Trevor Denton (1-1) took the loss, throwing the final two-third innings.
Amador struck out five and walked three in six innings for Greensboro, giving up one run on six hits. Willis Booth threw two and two-third innings of relief, walking three. Christian Kercado (1-0) claimed the win, throwing the final one-third inning for the Pride.
The Quakers and Pride continued their three-game multi-site series tomorrow, with a 1 p.m. first pitch at McBane Field.