McGuire Comes Up Clutch Twice, Baseball Walks-Off Ferrum
Quakers complete comeback to grab key ODAC win
from Bryce Johnson, Director of Athletic Communications at Guilford College
GREENSBORO, N.C. – After launching a go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth, Collin McGuire (Wilkesboro, N.C.) took the second pitch he saw from Carter Liverman off his front shoulder to put the Guilford College baseball team (17-10, 5-9 ODAC) in front once again, this time for good, as it forced in Rylan Smith (Archdale, N.C.), elevating GC to a key Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory in walk-off fashion over Ferrum College (14-16, 4-12 ODAC) at McBane Field on Tuesday afternoon.
Tanner Royals (High Point, N.C.) got the ball and tossed 5.0 innings without allowing an earned run, however four unearned runs were charged against him on six hits, three walks, and two HBP against six strikeouts. He did not factor into the decision and instead it was Jack Ratliff (Greensboro, N.C.), who despite blowing the save, got his first NCAA win to improve to 1-0. He allowed one run on two hits while fanning one.
Panthers’ starter Jai Penn also did not qualify for the win after allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits and five walks across 4.0 innings with three strikeouts. Instead, Braydon Weeks allowed what ended up being the winning run to reach base over 1.1 innings permitting three runs, all earned, on three hits and two K’s, falling to 1-2.
McGuire did not even start the game for the Quakers, but was their top run producer with three RBIs and a run scored going 1-of-1. He was hitting in place of Sam Melton (Douglasville, Ga.) who also was not retired in three plate appearances with a single and two walks, scoring once. Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) hit a double in his 2-for-5 contest, driving in a run. Ryne Rodrigues (Summerfield, N.C.) reached three times with two hits and a HBP, driving in a run. Smith and Carter Blum (McLeansville, N.C.) each scored twice as well.
Carlos Castillo led all players in hits going 3-for-5 but only drove in one run. Tyler Mason went 2-of-4 with a double, a walk, a steal, scoring twice and driving in another. J.J. Mulhern also had two hits, including a double, scoring once and driving in a run for the guests.
Following a scoreless top of the first from Royals featuring a pair of strikeouts on either side of a hit batsman, Guilford’s offense grabbed the lead with a two-out rally in the home half. Smith worked a four-pitch walk then Grayson Tudor (Reidsville, N.C.) perfectly placed a bunt and despite a collision at first due to a wide throw, beat out the hit. Rodrigues stayed hot with runners on base, rocketing a single through the left side of the infield to score Smith and put GC in front.
The Panthers struck back in the home half as Shannon led off by doubling off the wall in center but Royals got the next two men on a K and a groundout to third with Shannon advancing to third on a wild pitch in the midst of that. He induced a comebacker that looked like it would have been the third out, too, but it hit off Royals’ glove, then Ethan George (Burlington, N.C.) could not handle the barehand, allowing the run to score and giving the guests a new life and they took advantage. FC strung together three-straight hits and added a steal of third with an errand throw as three additional unearned tallies crossed the plate, claiming a 4-1 edge.
The back-and-forth scoring continued in the bottom of the second as Blum and Melton each reached on walks to open the inning but Devin Tonkins (Greensboro, N.C.) popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt. Dark took advantage anyways, doubling past the first baseman and down the rightfield line. Blum scored easily, but Melton was held at third and Dark did not realize it as he was eying a triple. The throw home was cut off by the first baseman Shawn Baxter who tried to back-pick Dark but threw the ball away, allowing Melton to score anyways and cut the deficit to one.
Both starters settled down from there and like the earlier matchup between these conference foes, it took a call to the arm barn to spurn the Quaker offense back to life. Williams greeted Panthers’ reliever Matthew Sheppard by roping a double down the leftfield line. A groundout and a sacrifice fly later and the tallies were level but Ferrum countered against the GC bullpen. Greeting Jackson Marcellus (Chapel Hill, N.C.), J.J. Tyree singled and stole second then came home on a Mulhern single that caromed under the glove of a diving George to make the score 5-4.
Ferrum had a chance to extend their lead in their lead in the seventh with Baxter drawing a leadoff walk and getting to third on a wild pitch and a flyout. However, Marcellus induced a perfect groundball that hugged the third base line allowing Smith to glove the ball and tag the retreating Baxter all in one motion before throwing out the batter Eli Elliott to escape the jam.
Guilford would get the breakthrough they have been seeking in the eighth, as Blum opened by dumping a single inside the chalk down the rightfield line ahead of McGuire. The senior, in his first plate appearance off the bench, got a 1-2 pitch he could handle and just cleared the wall down the line in right with his first-career longball, thrusting GC into the lead, 6-5.
FC fought back to even in the ninth against Ratliff as Mason doubled and Castillo beat a bunt single on a sacrifice bid before promptly stealing second putting the tying run at third and go-ahead run also in scoring position. Ratliff got the strikeout he needed of Kyle Markowitz before Baxter rocketed a grounder to George at shortstop. The sophomore, despite playing back, had a chance at the plate and took it, but Mason dove in safely to get even at six however a 1-6-3 twin-killing kept the score right there.
In the bottom half, Smith roped a double to start the frame and was sacrificed up by Tudor before a pitching change by Ferrum brought in Nick Lowery mid-at-bat and he hit Rodrigues with a pitch. GC then brought in pinch hitter Chris Shoemaker (Winston-Salem, N.C.) with FC making another change on the hill in the middle of a plate appearance, this time going to Liverman who picked up the strikeout. Another Quaker pinch hitter, Dom Pegues (Raleigh, N.C.) was intentionally walked and then run for by Cole Price (Summerfield, N.C.), in the process loading the bases and setting the stage for McGuire who was drilled to force in the winning run, and lift the Quakers to the win, 7-6.
Guilford heads across town tomorrow, Wednesday April 9th, to complete their in-city season series with the Pride of Greensboro College. First pitch is set for 4:00 PM.
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