DANVILLE, Va.—Brayden King’s (Graham, N.C./Southern Alamance) sacrifice fly in the top of the tenth inning proved to drive in the game-winning run as Greensboro College claimed a Sunday afternoon USA South Athletic Conference (USA South) contest over Averett University, 7-6, in ten innings to earn the three-game series win.
Michael Garvey Jr. (Oak Ridge, N.C./Northwest Guilford) started the Pride’s string of three unanswered runs in the top of the second inning as the senior shortstop connected on a two-out RBI-double down the left-field line. Fellow senior Scotty McGuire furthered the Pride’s run as he sparked the Pride’s two-run rally in the top of the third inning with a RBI-single to center field after the Pride opened the inning by putting two runners on base.
Half of Averett’s runs came in the bottom of the fourth frame in a rally sparked by Nolan Maccabe on a RBI-single down the right field line with one out.
The Pride responded to Averett’s three-run rally in the next half-inning with a two-run rally of their own as Hunter Curtis (Graham, N.C./Southern Alamance) and D.J. Lowry each hit RBI-singles in back-to-back at-bats with two outs to tie the game, 5-5.
Greensboro recorded two outs in the first two at-bats of the top of the eighth inning before Cameron Peters (Greensboro, N.C./Grimsley) stepped up to the plate and connected on a home run to right field to give the Pride the lead. Maccabe countered in the bottom-half of the inning with a RBI-single after Averett loaded the bases with no outs.
Peters drew a walk with one out in the top of the tenth inning and Casey Moore was hit by a pitch to place runners on first and second with one out. McGuire drew another walk as the Pride’s fourth batter of the inning, loading the bases. King followed by hitting a fly ball to center field to draw the second out of the inning but brought Peters home as the Pride took the lead.
Averett threatened in the bottom portion of the extra frame with runners on first and second with one out. With two outs on the board after a pop fly to Garvey at shortstop, Layton Helms induced a ground ball to Garvey, who was able to flip the ball to Moore at third base to record the final out and seal the win.
Four Pride batters recorded three hits on the afternoon, led by Alexander Morales’ three-for-three effort. McGuire finished three-for-four with one RBI while Curtis and Peters each finished three-for-five with one RBI. Peters tallied a double in addition to his eighth-inning home run.
Tanner Bradshaw led Averett with a four-for-four effort with two doubles while Maccabe finished two-for-five with two RBI.
Helms (3-0) claimed the win for the Pride, throwing the final three innings in relief where he only yielded two hits while fanning one batter and walking one. Cole Spain (1-3) took the loss for Averett, throwing the final two innings in relief as he struck out two batters and walked four while giving up the go-ahead run.
Greensboro finishes the 2021 season 15-18 overall, 7-11 in USA South play, while concluding the season winning five of their last seven games and winning their last two weekend conference series.
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Courtesy of Bryan Jones, Greensboro College Sports Information Director