BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College baseball team (12-7, 1-1 USA South) split its USA South Conference opening doubleheader against Maryville College (11-5, 1-1 USAS) on Saturday afternoon at Gil Coan Field.
Maryville used a four-run ninth inning to take the first game, while BC held onto a late lead in game two to take a 5-3 victory.
GAME ONE - MARYVILLE 5, BREVARD 1
Senior left-handed pitcher Matthew Scavotto (2-2) threw eight and two-thirds innings of work, allowing five runs. Through eight frames, the lefty had only allowed a single run before a late Maryville spurt in the top of the ninth inning changed the Scots' fortunes.
Cale Oehler and Frankie Vasquez each had multiple hits, with Vasquez adding two doubles and a pair of stolen bases and Oehler driving in Brevard's lone run of the contest. BC was hampered by 10 runners left on base in the game.
After three scoreless frames, Vasquez led the bottom of the fourth off with a double and a stolen base. Oehler pushed a single through the left side of the infield to give Brevard a 1-0 advantage. BC had two on with one out in the frame, but was unable to cash in any further.
Maryville was able to take advantage of a leadoff walk in the top of the sixth using small-ball with a sacrifice bunt and a single to tie the contest at 1-1 all. Brevard led the bottom of the inning off with a double, but three-consecutive outs stranded the runner in scoring position.
Oehler walked with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and went to second on a passed ball, but was stranded after a flyout sent the contest into the ninth inning all square.
After a strikeout to begin the top of the ninth, the Scots rallied with three singles and a walk to plate a pair of runs. Another RBI single and a runner scoring on a wild pitch made the score 5-1 in favor of the guests.
The Tornados were able to get a pair of runners on with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but a double play ended the opportunity and gave Maryville the 5-1 conference win.
GAME TWO - BREVARD 5, MARYVILLE 3
Brevard was able to flip the script in game number two, holding a lead for the entire contest en route to the victory.
Zach Allison led BC's offense with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate that included a double, two walks, and two runs scored. The well-balanced attack included eight starting hitters recording hits for the Tornados. Peter Fumero drove in a team-high two runs, while Jason Jucker and Oehler also plating Nado scores.
Nathan Sanders (3-0) earned the victory after a five-inning performance on the mound, tallying seven strikeouts while allowing two runs on four hits. Cesar Rodriguez turned in three innings of very impressive relief, giving up a pair of hits and a run with two strikeouts, while Bryce Bowers logged his first save of the 2022 season and ended the game with a strikeout looking.
Jucker grounded into a double play with runners on the corners in the bottom of the first, as Allison scored BC's first run of the matchup. Oehler and Fumero added to BC's advantage in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of RBI singles, making it a 3-0 affair.
Maryville put together a rally in the top of the fifth when three singles and a sacrifice fly made it a 3-2 ballgame, but Sanders forced a pair of fly outs to preserve the one-run lead.
Fumero logged a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth to give Brevard a much-needed insurance run, 4-2, before Maryville's Max Bowers hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh that cut the deficit in half.
Allison led off the home half of the seventh with a double before a one-out Jucker RBI single gave Brevard a 5-3 advantage. BC was able to load the bases in the frame, but couldn't muster any further scoring.
A single, wild pitch, and stolen base gave Maryville a runner on third with one out, but BC's Rodriguez got a strikeout and foul out that preserved the two-run advantage. Bowers came on for Brevard in the ninth and sealed the deal with a 1-2-3 inning, giving BC its first conference triumph, 5-3.
The three-game series concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Gil Coan Field.
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-BC-