Atlanta, GA - The Piedmont College baseball team traveled to Emory University this afternoon to play game number two of the final regular season series for both teams with Emory taking the win 9-8 despite the Lions outhitting the Eagles 14-12.
On an afternoon that honored the senior class for Emory University, the Lions jumped on the board early with a
ZACH LANGLEY RBI single that scored
WILL SKIDMORE in the first inning.
However, Emory exploded for six of their nine total runs in the bottom of the second inning. 11 batters came to the plate while the six hits allowed the Eagles to take a commanding 6-1 lead early in the game.
Senior
MAX OBERKOFLER took the loss on the mound for the Lions and finished his 2015 season with a 5-3 record with his five wins leading all pitchers. He held opposing hitters to just a .285 average in just over 60 total innings pitched this year.
The Lions refused to lie down in game number two as they slowly but surely chipped their way back into the game. One more run in the top of the third on a fielding error made the score 4-2 after three.
A two run fifth allowed Piedmont to bring the game to within two runs on a
DANIEL LINDSEY RBI single which scored
EVAN GRESHAM, and a
CALEB NORTON RBI fielder's choice that scored
BRECK DAVIDSON.
Reliever
LUKE MACDONALD gave up his only runs out on the mound in the bottom of the fifth to give way to
MATT STEPHENS. MacDonald finished the afternoon with three innings pitched giving up three runs on five hits and one strikeout.
The Eagles did not pick up another run for the rest of the game thanks to the reliable relievers in Green and Gold. Stephens,
BUDDY GREEN, and
JOSH THOMAS pitched the remaining three innings giving up only one hit.
Stephens, the reigning USA South Pitcher of the Week, saw the bulk of the late-inning action throwing 2.1 innings on one hit and three strikeouts with no runs.
Finding themselves behind 9-4 after six, Piedmont began its comeback. A two-run seventh on a 2 RBI single from senior
CASEY PARHAM narrowed the lead to three.
In the eighth, Davidson would ground out to second scoring Skidmore with Langley picking up his second RBI of the day on a single that scored
TYLER MARCINKO to make the score 9-8 in favor of the home standing Eagles.
The comeback story would be delayed another day as the Eagles closed out the game, but the Lions managed 14 total hits on the day with 11 of those hits coming from the first five in the order.
Skidmore finished the day 2-for-5 with two runs scored as did Marcinko, but Gresham and Langley would lead the way with their 3-for-4 days at the plate. Langley tied his career high mark of 2 RBI in a single game this afternoon.
The three-hit day from Gresham puts him at 12-for-17 in the last five games with at least two hits in every game, but also marked his eighth three-hit day in the 2015 season.
He also leads all Lions with his .392 batting average which sits just .012 behind the program season record of .404 set by Corey Lindsey in the 2008 season. Gresham's average does however mark the highest average by an everyday starter in the past four seasons.
Emory improves to 25-12 on the year while the Lions fall to 23-16 overall. Game three will also be played at Emory tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m., weather permitting.
Fans are encouraged to stay connected with the Piedmont College baseball team by visiting PiedmontLions.com for all schedule changes and results.
