Box Score

Demorest, GA -- The Piedmont College baseball team fell to visiting Christopher Newport University earlier this afternoon by a final score of 6-3 after giving up a four run eighth inning.  The nationally ranked captains capitalized on a Lion error in the late inning surge to take control of the tight ball game down the stretch as CNU claimed their ninth straight win.

Piedmont struck first in today's match-up with a first inning RBI from second baseman John Duke whose base hit scored outfielder Josh Bailey. The Lions took a 1-0 lead off that early score to put the nationally ranked Captains on their heels.

Christopher Newport then got level with the home town Lions snagging a run in the top of the third to nod the score at one apiece. The Captains would briefly grab the lead from Piedmont in the top of the fifth getting a run on a home run over the left field wall off freshman starter Matt Lisk.

The young arm would find himself in a tight spot in that Captain fifth with two CNU runners aboard at second and third with just one out. However, the North Carolina native then settled in to strike out the next batter he faced before inducing a ground ball out to get off the mound in the fifth.

Piedmont gave their freshman starter a bit of help in the bottom of the same frame as Curtis Cornett knocked a sacrifice fly to score teammate Kyle Davis tying the game up at 2-2.  After several scoreless innings, a four spot by the Captains in the top of the eighth would break the deadlock and put #25 CNU up 6-2. 

The Lions would get another run on a Kyle Davis sacrifice fly that scored DALE BARTEK from third base, but PC could not climb out of the deficit falling 6-3 to the Captains.  For Piedmont, the loss is just their second of the season in the friendly confines of Loudermilk Field.

The Lions outhit visiting CNU 13-12 but left eight runners on base in the three run loss.  Freshman pitcher Matt Lisk went five innings giving up just two runs while striking out five.  Taking the loss on the mound was Davis Partrick who went two and a third giving up three earned runs to the Captains.

Middle infielder John Duke swung well at the plate for PC going 3-for-4 with a RBI for the Lion offense while temmate Kyle Davis also posted a three of four day at the plate.  Davis also accounted for a run batted in while Curtis Cornett picked up the Lions' third RBI.

While CNU cracked the top 25 this week in the first NCBWA/D3baseball.com national poll, Piedmont also made news receiving votes in the poll for the first time since the 2008 season when the Lions climbed as high as #5.  That season included a GSAC championship and a NCAA National Tournament appearance for Piedmont who finished the year ranked 19th. 

The loss drops PC to 8-5 on the year and 6-2 at home.  The Lions will get back on the diamond on Thursday, March 3 when they host Capital University for a 7:00 first pitch at Loudermilk.