Joseph Marvin: Assistant Sports Information Director
Photo Credit: Thom Kennedy '21
BREVARD, N.C. – Junior RHP Kross Robinson pitched seven innings of scoreless ball, recording a career-high 10 strikeouts, but the Brevard College Tornados Baseball team (6-14, 1-10 USAS) were upended with a late-inning rally by 11th-ranked Huntingdon College (16-3, 7-3 USAS) by a final score of 7-0 on Sunday afternoon at Gil Coan Field.
Robinson's solid seven-inning start earned a no-decision after the Hawks plated three runs in the eighth inning, followed by a four-spot in the ninth.
Bryce Bowers (1-1) was the pitcher of record for the Tornados after the Hawks scored three runs on three hits in the eighth inning.
Huntingdon's starting pitcher Wallace Henry (3-1) went the distance, pitching a complete-game, five-hit shutout to give the Hawks a series win over BC. Henry fanned six batters while walking two.
Jacob Bass went 2-for-3 while Ryan Roon added a 1-for-2 performance at the plate for the Tornados.
The Hawks tagged BC pitching for five doubles and a two-run homer late in the contest, clinching the series with a late offensive rally.
Robinson reached the double-digit strikeout plateau for the first time in his career, supplanting his previous career-high mark of six K's set multiple times this season and in 2018.
Robinson and the Tornado defense escaped many early jams in the rubber match. After a scoreless first inning, Huntingdon used a hit-by-pitch and a walk in the top of the second to place two runners on base with nobody out. Robinson then mowed down two straight Huntingdon batters followed by a key bases-loaded strikeout to end the major scoring threat.
The Tornados turned a 4-6-3 double play in the top of the third, erasing a leadoff error. The Hawks again threatened in the top of the fourth but stranded runners on second and third.
Huntingdon got runners on second and third base with nobody out in the top of the fifth frame, but big defensive plays on both sides left the game scoreless through five innings.
Both teams knocked on the door in the sixth inning, as the Hawks once again placed two runners into scoring position with one out. However, back-to-back Robinson strikeouts ended BC's threat.
Brevard stared down its best scoring chance of the afternoon in the bottom of the sixth inning as BC loaded the bases with just one out. However, a ground ball double play turned by Huntingdon ended the threat as the game remained scoreless through six innings.
Huntingdon stranded two more baserunners in the top half of the seventh inning, while another double play did the Tornados in as the scoreless affair reached its eighth inning.
The Hawks found their offensive groove the rest of the way, touching up the Tornado bullpen for seven runs on 10 hits in the last two innings. The Tornados went hitless in the final two frames as Henry finished his complete-game shutout.
BC wrapped up its series against nationally-ranked Huntingdon with plenty of bright spots coming from its starting pitching. In 20 innings pitched for the Tornado starting pitching staff, BC surrendered just one earned run.
The Tornados return to action next weekend as they head to Misenheimer, N.C. for a three-day weekend series against Pfeiffer University (11-4, 5-3 USAS) from Friday, March 22 to Sunday, March 24. The first game is set for Friday at 6 p.m.
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