Box Score Rocky Mount, NC - The #5-seeded Piedmont Baseball team took a commanding lead in the second round of USA South Tournament play with a 6-1 upset of the #1-seeded Christopher Newport Captains. Piedmont gave up only four hits defensively on a win that puts them two games away from the conference title.
Josh Bailey started off a stellar day with a single in the first.
Tate Koons moved to second on the single; he reached base on balls previously. Bailey and Koons both stole to advance to scoring positions for the Lions.
Logan Pethel would ground out to score Koons from third before the end of the inning and give the Lions their first taste of the a win.
Strong defense by both teams kept the score stale through the fourth inning.
Austin Brick stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the fourth with a runner on second. Brick RBI singled to score
Michael Barnes and give the Lions the eventual game-winner.
Christopher Newport set themselves up for a comeback in the fifth. A RBI single gave the Captains a fighting chance moving forward but Piedmont shut them down in the bottom of the inning.
Josh Bailey blasted a ball over the right field fence to score two and increase the deficit to 4-1 at the end of five.
Keith Grabowski led off the bottom of the seventh with a single for the Lions. He stole second before Koons walked and Bailey was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The opportunity was ripe for senior Kevin D'Antignac to RBI single and score Grabowski. Barnes stepped up to bat next and sacrifice-flied to score Koons, the final run of the game.
Matt Lisk, the eventual game-winning pitcher hung up his glove after seven and two-thirds. Lisk struck out five and gave up only three hits in the upset.
Josh Bailey led the offensive charge going 2-3 including the two run homer.
The win
moves the Lions forward in the winner's bracket of the USA South Conference Tournament bracket. They will face the winner of this afternoon's Maryville, Methodist contest tomorrow afternoon. Game time is set for 12:00 P.M. at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C.
Please continue to visit the Tournament Website for up-to-date information.
Five County Stadium
1501 North Carolina 39
Zebulon, North Carolina
