Box Score

Lawrenceville, GA - Two runs were enough for Caleb Cochran and the No. 24 Lions, as they shut out the in-state rivals Emory University in the second game of the Coke, Georgia Division-III Challenge at Coolray Field in Gwinnett.  In a game that featured 14 hits, only two runs crossed the plate, courtesy of juniors Tim Nunez and Matt Youtsey.  But the real story was the senior Cochran, who went seven and 2/3 innings of shutout baseball, striking out seven while yielding just four hits and three walks while picking up his second win of the season.

The Lions struck first in the second frame when Nunez plated a run with a one-out double as junior James Moyer crossed the plate after a leadoff single.  The game remained 1-0 until the seventh, when senior Ethan Miers reached base with a two-out walk.  After swiping his first base of the season, Youtsey brought him home with a RBI single up the middle.

The two runs held up, as the only real threat made by Emory came in the eighth, when the Eagles had runners on first and second with one away.  However, senior Ed Cook came in to get the Lions and Cochran out of a jam.  He had to get himself out of a similar situation, allowing runners to reach first and second in the ninth with just one away.  Again, Cook buckled down and struck out the last two hitters to preserve the win and earn his second save of the season.

Moyer and Davis recorded two hits each to lead the offense as the Lions improve to a perfect 4-0 this year.  The pitching has been lights out between Cochran and junior Kevin Caldwell, who are a combined 4-0.  Piedmont has allowed just five runs in four games and just two in the last three.  The men return to the diamond tomorrow to wrap up their trip in the Gwinnett Braves stadium tomorrow when taking on LaGrange College at 4:00 pm, although the matchup against the Great South Athletic Conference opponent will not count toward conference play.