Box Score Demorest, GA - The Piedmont College baseball team took an 11-3 victory over the Pride of Greensboro College earlier tonight at Loudermilk Field in the Lions' USA South opener for 2014. Piedmont scored in all but the 7th and 8th innings watching a
Breck Davidson grand slam over the MonsterWall in left break a 3-3 tie in the 4th setting the stage for a big win at home for the boys from Demorest.
Getting the win on the mound for Piedmont was
Matt Lisk as he threw six complete giving up just four hits and three earned runs as he faced 24 batters fanning seven and walking a trio. Lisk moves to 2-0 on the season in three starts as he has allowed just 14 hits but struck out 22 in the 20 and two thirds thrown in 2014.
Piedmont got the scoring started in the bottom of the 1st when
Will Skidmore led off with a single and stole second to put himself in scoring position for the Lions' second batter,
Keith Grabowski, who tripled to score Skidmore and give PC a 1-0 lead. Grabowski scored on the next at bat as senior
Josh Bailey singled for his only hit on the night as he was one for one with an incredible four walks for the second time in his Piedmont career which also ties the NCAA Era record.
After Piedmont's
Zack Johnson scored in the bottom of the 2nd to make the score 3-0 Lions, the visiting Pride would come back with three runs of their own in the top of the 3rd to tie the game up at 3's with the Lions now in place to make a move. Piedmont continued its offensive barrage in the home half of the same inning as the Lions picked up a run from
Josh Bailey who came across to score one of his two runs on the night.
With a 4-3 lead in hand, Piedmont's 4th inning set up to be the back breaker as three of the Lions' first four batters reached safely including singles from
Griffin Olson and
Keith Grabowski as well as a 3-2 walk for
Josh Bailey as now the bases sat loaded for big first baseman
Breck Davidson who was 1-for-2 on the night to that point.
Davidson picked up his second hit of the night though in a big way when he crushed a Pride pitch over the fence in left for his first career grand slam as he put Piedmont up 8-3 emphatically with Lisk looking good on the mound for PC. Piedmont would go on to plate another three runs in the game as Grabowski doubled in a pair in the 5th while Olson's sac fly in the 6th accounted for the final score of the game as Piedmont took it 11-3 in the end to start off league play on the right foot.
Lisk's win for his six innings pitched combined with three other arms on the night as
Matt Stephens,
Luke MacDonald, and
Drew Stephens each tossed an inning with none of the three allowing a run and combining to give up just one hit. Stephens sat his three in order while the lone walk was issued by the latter Stephens.
MacDonald's hit allowed proved no problem as Jordan Powell was caught stealing by the arm of
Austin Brick who served notice to any Pride runner taking off as he caught all three Greensboro players attempting to steal including a catch on Powell in the 5th as well. Brick also caught J.P. Lisk of Greensboro, younger brother to Piedmont pitcher Matt, who reached on a walk in the 4th from his big brother as the two shared the field with a tip of the cap as Matt picked up the win on the mound. J.P. played third going 0-for-2 with that walk before being caught trying to steal second by Brick.
The win moves Piedmont to 7-2 on the season and starts the Lions off 1-0 in conference play taking their USA South opener tonight. Piedmont is now 8-2 against the Pride in their last ten matchups dating back to the 2005 season and 2-0 in home games against GC.
The two squads will continue their conference three-game series tomorrow in the friendly confines of Loudermilk Field where Piedmont is now 4-1 on the season. The March 1st first pitch between the two is set for 3:00 pm.
