The Piedmont College baseball team opened the 2007 season in Greensboro, NC this weekend and fell to Greensboro College on Friday 10-3 and then Guilford College handed the Lions a pair of weekend losses 4-3 and 10-9 (10).
Despite pounding out 32 hits in three games, the Lions led for only five innings and could not find their first victory of the new season. Greensboro scored nine runs in the first three innings and cruised to the 10-3 victory. Andy Graf suffered his first loss of the season going only three innings and allowing six earned runs. Stan Brosko led the offensive for PC with a 3-4 day at the plate.
On Saturday the Lions got a strong starting pitching effort from Tom Dimitroff in his first start for Piedmont going six innings allowing zero earned runs while striking out eight. Piedmont took a slim 3-2 lead into the eight until Guilford struck with a solo homerun in the bottom half and then a walk-off solo homer the following inning. Trey McCay led the Lions offense with an impressive 4-4 day including and RBI and run scored.
On Sunday, PC jumped out to a three-run lead in the top of the first on a two-out, three-run homer from Evan Nissley. Guilford answered in the bottom half with a pair of runs and then knotted the scored at 3-3 after the second inning. The Lions scored two more in the top of the third but allowed two in the bottom half and then three more runs in the fifth. Piedmont scored a pair of runs in the seventh and eighth to tie the score at 9-9.
In the bottom of the ninth GC got a two-out single with a runner on second but defensive replacement Jared Moon recorded the assist at the plate as catcher Matt Devito secured the catch and tag and sent the game into extra innings. In the home half of the tenth the Quakers left the Lions on the field for the second straight day with a one-out RBI single.
PC stands at 0-3 overall and will take the field again on Wednesday, February 14th as they travel to local rival Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA. The Stormy Petrels currently stand at 3-0 after defeating Great South Athletic Conference members LaGrange College and Maryville College twice.
