BREVARD, N.C. – The Brevard College baseball team (18-15, 7-9 USAS) dominated both games of a USA South Conference doubleheader with two wins over USA South Conference foe Berea (4-29, 1-13 USAS) on Saturday at Gil Coan Field. The Tornados outscored the Mountaineers by a total of 25-6 in the doubleheader with the second win coming via run-rule in seven innings.
The doubleheader came on the eve of Sunday's Senior Day when four graduating seniors – Jack Atkinson, Christian Ezzell, Jason Jucker and Matthew Scavotto – will be honored in a special pre-game ceremony.
Game One – Brevard 11, Berea 4
Scavotto (4-4) made his senior weekend start a memorable one, earning the win after pitching 6.1 innings allowing four runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts. After retiring a Mountaineer with a fly out in the seventh inning, Scavotto was relieved by teammate Bryce Bowers to a thunderous ovation and a flurry of congratulations from coaches and players. Bowers finished off Berea, allowing no runs on one hit over the final 2.2 innings.
At the plate, Jucker led BC with a 4-for-4 performance and a run scored. Blake Burchett went 2-for-3 with three runs scored, while Cale Oehler was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Logan Clark added two RBIs with a sacrifice fly and a run scored.
The basepaths proved to be a major factor as well with the Tornados registering nine stolen bases for the second time this season. Atkinson stole a career-high three bases, including an electric steal of home. Burchett stole a pair of bases as well to go along with steals for Zach Allison, Clark, Frankie Vasquez, and Peter Fumero.
Berea started the doubleheader with its only lead of the day by taking a 2-0 advantage in the top of the second. Brevard answered however with three runs in the bottom of the frame beginning with a bases-loaded walk by Fumero. An RBI-single by Tristan Robinson followed to score Vasquez. Following a fielder's choice to put runner's on the corners, Atkinson and Fumero combined for a delayed double-steal that scored Fumero and gave Atkinson his first of his three stolen bases.
A two-RBI single by Vasquez in the bottom of the third made the score 5-2. Berea responded with two runs to cut the deficit to 5-4.
After two scoreless innings, Brevard blew the game open with a five-run sixth inning as Atkinson hit an RBI-single to score Jucker. A wild pitch later brought Robinson home and sent Atkinson to third and Allison to second. The two speedsters then executed a double steal to perfection with Atkinson sliding into home safely.
A rare 2-RBI sacrifice fly followed as Clark brought home Allison from third and Burchett all the way from second on the play.
Brevard added one more insurance run in the eighth on an RBI-single by Oehler that scored Burchett as the Tornados cruised to victory.
Game Two – Brevard 14, Berea 2 (7 inn.)
Junior Nathan Sanders (5-1) earned the win after a strong performance on the mound, striking out eight and allowing just one earned run on five hits over six innings. Cesar Rodriguez relieved Sanders and pitched a shutout inning allowing just one hit.
Jucker again was superb at the plate with a 2-for-2 showing at the plate with two runs scored, two sacrifice flies and three RBIs to give the graduating senior a 6-for-6 start to the three-game series. Vasquez doubled and drove in three runs, while Oehler went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.
The basepaths again proved fruitful as well with a total of seven stolen bases in game two to up the total to 16 for the series. Clark recorded a career-best four stolen bases, while Burchett added two more to bring his team-best total to 34 steals on the season.
After two scoreless innings, Brevard never looked back after opening the scoring with an RBI-single by Oehler. The Tornados took a 6-0 lead until the Mountaineers got on the board with two runs in the sixth. Three more runs in the bottom of the frame gave Brevard a 9-2 lead heading into the seventh. The Tornados then erupted for a five-run seventh to clinch the victory in a frame that saw an RBI-single by pinch hitter Micah Johnson and a run scored by pinch hitter Mason Lyon.
The series will conclude on Sunday at Gil Coan Field with the regular-season USA South Conference finale between the two teams. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. with the Senior Day Ceremony scheduled for 12:40 p.m.
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-BC-