Joseph Marvin: Assistant Sports Information Director
Photo Credit: Thom Kennedy '21 Instagram @thomkphoto
BREVARD, N.C. – The Brevard College Tornados Baseball team (6-18, 1-14 USAS) fell in the series opener of a three-game home series to the Greensboro College Pride (10-13, 7-6 USAS) by a final score of 14-4 on Friday afternoon at Gil Coan Field.
With the game all square at 4-4 through five innings, the Pride cashed in seven runs in the top of the sixth inning en route to a commanding 14-4 victory over the Tornados.
Ben Melton (1-3) earned the starting nod for Brevard, lasting five innings. Melton was charged with six earned runs on nine hits, recording three walks and strikeouts in the process.
The Tornados struck for a big inning of its own in the bottom of the third, using a four-run frame to tie the contest, 4-4.
Ryan Roon tallied two singles for the Tornados, going 2-for-4 on the afternoon.
Josh Van Liew hit his first career triple in part of a 1-for-3 day, driving in a Tornado run.
Leadoff hitter Donny Carsillo got on base twice in the game, batting 1-for-3 with a run and RBI in addition to drawing a walk.
Pride pitcher Will Hicks (4-2) worked through a rough third inning to finish a complete-game outing, shutting down the Tornado offense over the last six innings. Hicks' complete-game included five strikeouts, as the right-hander allowed just four runs on seven hits.
Greensboro's Blake Bond struck a two-run inside-the-park home run in the eighth inning to highlight a 16-hit performance from the Pride.
The Pride tagged Melton for runs in each of the first three innings to build an early advantage, 4-0. Brevard answered back with a four-run third inning, highlighted by Van Liew's triple coupled with three-straight RBI singles, knotting the contest up.
Brevard and Greensboro traded 1-2-3 innings in the fifth before the Pride broke the game open with a big sixth inning, taking a commanding 11-4 lead.
The Pride tacked on three more runs to its lead in the eighth and ninth innings, finishing off the first game of this weekend's three-game set.
Brevard and Greensboro gear up for a Saturday afternoon USA South doubleheader tomorrow at Gil Coan Field. First pitch for the front end of the twin bill is set for 12 p.m., while the series-finale will follow shortly after at approximately 3 p.m.
To follow along with all the latest news and updates surrounding Brevard College Athletics, please follow the Tornados on Twitter and Instagram @bctornados, subscribe to 'Brevard College Tornados'' on YouTube, follow 'Brevard College Tornados' on SoundCloud, or like Brevard College Athletics on Facebook.
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