GAFFNEY, S.C. – The Limestone College baseball team built up an early four-run lead behind three solo homeruns, but visiting Wingate University would storm back with eight unanswered runs over the late innings to take a 9-6 nonconference decision on Tuesday, March 27 at Founders FCU Stadium.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Wingate 9, Limestone 6
Records: Wingate (26-8), Limestone (14-16)
Location: Founders FCU Stadium
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Sophomore Trace Whetsell (Gilbert, S.C.) posted his fifth homerun of the year
- Sophomore Brandon Banks (Rock Hill, S.C.) recorded two hits, including a homer, and an RBI
- Junior Brennan Strovink (Rocky Point, N.Y.) blasted a solo homerun
- Junior Chase Allen (Sharpsburg, Ga.) finished with two doubles and an RBI
- Junior Channing Painton (Marietta, Ga.) chipped in a double and an RBI
- Junior Zach Piazza (Huntingtown, Md.) went 2-for-4 with a walk
- Junior starter Alex Grooms (Kings Mountain, N.C.) struck out six over 5.1 innings in a no-decision
- Senior Michael Todd Harris (Union, S.C.) took the loss to fall to 0-2 on the year
HOW IT HAPPENED
Innings 1-3
The Saints needed just seven pitches to pull out to an early lead as Whetsell launched a leadoff homerun over the Blue Monster in the bottom of the first. Limestone would extend the margin to 3-0 in the home half of the second as Banks and
Brennan Strovink blasted back-to-back jacks to start the frame.
In the third, the Bulldogs got on the scoreboard with a solo homerun, cutting the advantage to 3-1, before the visitors loaded the bags with two outs. However, Grooms would escape the bases-loaded jam before his offense got that run back in the bottom of the inning on a two-out RBI double by Allen.
Innings 4-6
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, senior
Brandon Etheridge (Carterville, Ga.) kept the inning going for Limestone after he punched the ball through the right side of the infield. Painton would then stake the Blue and Gold to a 5-1 cushion as he laced an RBI double into the rightfield gap a few pitches later.
That lead would not hold up, however, as Wingate tied the game at 5-all in the top of the sixth, batting around for four runs in the stanza. The Saints would put the first two batters on base in the bottom half, but the home team was unable to capitalize as the go-ahead run was left stranded 90-feet away.
Innings 7-9
The Bulldogs grabbed their first lead of the night, 7-5, with a two-out, two-run homerun in the seventh before extending the scoring streak to eight unanswered runs with a pair of tallies in the eighth.
Junior
Ryan Creps (Indiana, Pa.) singled with one out in the eighth, but Limestone would leave the bases loaded with the tying run at the dish. A two-out double by Allen in the ninth came around to score on an RBI single by Banks, but that would be the closest things would get as Wingate closed out the 9-6 win.
TURNING POINT
The momentum started to shift in favor of the visitors as a four-run top of the sixth sparked a string of eight unanswered runs for Wingate. Limestone had plenty of opportunities to get back into the game in the late going, but the Blue and Gold would leave seven runners on base over the last four innings.
NOTABLES
- Throwing 105 pitches, Grooms surrendered four runs on six hits and four walks
- The first four hits of the game all went for solo homeruns
- Limestone falls to 16-16 all-time against the Bulldogs
- Allen ran his hit streak to 19 straight games while Whetsell has hit safely in 18 straight
UP NEXT
Limestone is back on the road this weekend as it travels to face King University in a three-game conference series. The Saints and Tornado will play two on Friday, March 30 starting at 1 p.m. before closing out the weekend set with a single game on Saturday.
