Box Score

Demorest, GA -- The Piedmont College baseball team could not complete the sweep over visiting Great South Athletic Conference rival Maryville College this afternoon as the Scots claimed a 4-3 victory in 11 innings. Playing their third extra-inning game in the last four contests, the Lions finally fell in bonus baseball for the first time all season as the Scots lone run in the top of the 11th prevented a three-game sweep at Loudermilk Field.

Piedmont outfielder Kyle Davis drew a leadoff walk to give the Lions a base runner early on in today's contest. After the junior moved to third on a Josh Bailey base hit through the right side, Davis took advantage of a Scot miscue to put the first score of the day on the board with PC leading 1-0.

Starting pitcher Dusty Black found himself in little trouble over the first three innings sitting down nine of the first twelve batters he faced on the day. Piedmont gave its senior hurler a little insurance in the bottom of the third with a Kevin McConnell RBI single that doubled up the home team's margin at 2-0.

Black did face some peril in the Maryville fifth as a leadoff single and a few Lion mistakes turned into three Scot scores as the visitors stole away the lead 3-2 after five. Piedmont's GSAC foe held the advantage for just over an inning until the Lions managed to tie the game at 3's with a Kyle Davis RBI single as the outfielder extended his hitting streak to 15 games.

Pitcher Ed Cook came on in the eighth to toss three scoreless innings for the home team fanning a pair to move his strikeout total over his last three appearances to eight. Cook allowed just a single hit to the Scots carrying the Lions to the bottom of the tenth still tied at 3-3 with a chance to end the ballgame in walk-off fashion for the third time in their last four games.

PC would indeed put pressure on the Maryville bullpen in the tenth with James Moyer putting a one-out base hit through the left side of the Scot infield. The Lions' next batter raised the stakes after being hit by a pitch to get on first putting two runners on for Piedmont in the tenth with still just a single out on the board.

After the Scots picked up a key strikeout to collect the second out of the tenth, Moyer would get a jump on a Maryville wild pitch to put the winning run just 90 feet away with centerfielder Dave Bartek waiting at the plate.

Bartek worked the count full but couldn't catch up to a third strike as Maryville got out of the tenth unscathed with action heading to the 11th inning for the second time in the current three game series between these two ball clubs. It was in that extra frame where closer Matt Collins found himself in a rare uncomfortable situation on the mound as the senior allowed four hits and a run to the visiting Scots who claimed a 4-3 lead.

However, the pitcher got great help from the squad behind him as a throw from right fielder Tate Koons on that fourth hit helped get a Scot caught in a rundown between second and third where Curtis Cornett and Ethan Miers help catch a third out for PC.

Despite putting a pair of runners on board with two outs in the bottom of the 11th, Maryville's score in the top held up with the Scots holding off the sweep earning a 4-3 extra inning victory. The loss is just the fifth on the season in front of the Lions' home fans at Loudermilk Field.

Black went seven innings in the no-decision allowing three runs with just one earned while scattering five hits on the day. The senior did finish just a single strikeout shy of his season high with his eight K's also issuing two walks.

Bailey's two base hits led the club at the plate while Davis kept his hitting streak alive at 15 collecting a RBI and scoring a run along the way. Also batting in runs was infielders John Duke and Curtis Cornett while Ethan Miers and Josh Bailey each scored a run for PC.

Now 23-14 on the season, the Lions finish up league play at 7-2 while also posting a remarkable 17-5 record in the friendly confines of Loudermilk.  Piedmont now faces N.C. Wesleyan College in a two-game road set that will start with a 1:00 afternoon game on Thursday, April 21.