Box Score

Demorest, GA - A four-run second inning pushed the Lions past Blackburn College, 10-2 Saturday evening.  No. 24 Piedmont stretched its winning streak to six games, giving the men their best start in the NCAA-era.  Junior Kevin Caldwell earned his third straight win on mound, and got plenty of offensive support behind him, highlighted by a hot-hitting sophomore Josh Bailey.

Despite leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, the home team was able to bring a pair in on bases-loaded walks to junior Andy Waldrop and senior Ethan Miers.  The Lions brought eight men to the plate in the home half, as four reached on free passes.  Caldwell ran into trouble in the top of the second shortly after, walking the leadoff man before a base hit put two on with none out.  After a harmless groundout in front of the plate moved the runners up, the number nine hitter lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Blackburn's first run.  Caldwell then balked home a run, the second balk of the inning for him. 

Immediately the Lions' offense roared to life with a huge second inning.  Again eight hitters stepped to the plate.  Bailey delivered a laser over the right field fence, a 2-run homer to give Piedmont a 5-2 lead.  Waldrop would add an RBI single later in the inning to give the men a four-run lead.  Caldwell settled in, not allowing another hit until the seventh inning.  As the ace had the Lions on cruise control, the offense continued to provide insurance.  The home half of the fifth saw some wild baseball.  Miers led off with a single before junior Dale Bartek reached on a fielder's choice grounder to third, forcing out Miers at second.  Junior Tate Koons' ensuing single put runners on first and second with one away.  The Lions then attempted a double-steal, one of three such attempts on the game.  Bartek was hosed at third, while Koons advanced to second.

Senior Kyle Davis, who had recorded an RBI single in the second just before Bailey's homerun, blooped a flare down the right field line behind first base.  As the first baseman, second baseman and right fielder merged in for the ball, a collision left Davis racing for third for a triple as the ball hit the grass.  The first baseman's panicked throw to third went wide right, and Davis raced home on the play, scoring Koons in the process.  The 8-2 lead held until the last part of the eighth frame, when the Lions struck again.  Senior Curtis Cornett recorded an RBI double down the left field line, and was brought in by junior Garrett Lovelace on the next play.  Lovelace singled in Cornett, but was thrown out at second trying to advance on the throw home to get Cornett.

Caldwell went seven strong innings, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks, collecting eight strikeouts along the way.  Freshmen Luke McDonald and Brooks Davis went the final two innings in relief, allowing just one walk between the two of them.  Bailey's 3-for-3 night included a pair of RBI on the homer and two walks to go along with it.  Cornett and sophomore Chris Lew had two hits apiece.  Piedmont recorded 12 hits and scored double-digit runs for the second straight game.  Piedmont returns to action tomorrow at 4:00 pm against #4 Christopher Newport University.