DEMOREST, Ga. – Junior outfielder Logan Clark hit his first collegiate home run – a grand slam – that powered a seven-run inning for the Brevard College baseball team (8-4), as BC defeated Piedmont University (6-3) 10-8 on Wednesday afternoon at Loudermilk Field in Demorest, Georgia.
The victory continues a hot stretch for the BC baseball team, who have won seven of their past eight contests.
Clark, a junior from St. Petersburg, Florida, went 2-for-4 with a career-best five RBIs, as the outfielder hit a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning to give BC a five-run lead. Luke Morton (3-for-5) and Cale Oehler (3-for-4) both turned in three-hit performances to pace the Tornado offense. Peter Fumero and Frankie Vasquez each logged two-hit outings, as the five BC sluggers combined for 12 hits in the contest.
Cole Ellis paced the host Lions with a 5-for-5 outing with a double, while Carter Ballstadt hit a two-run homer.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jacob Thompson (2-0) hurled seven innings of three-run ball, striking out three batters to earn his second-straight winning start. Senior righty Bryce Bowers came on in relief for two innings of four-hit, two-run ball.
BC got on the board first with two sacrifice flies in the top of the second inning, as Lucas Granata and Zach Allison each drove in runs to take a 2-0 lead. Clark drove in a run in the top of the third inning to extend the advantage to a 3-0 margin before Ballstadt's two-run round-tripper in the bottom of the third.
BC and Piedmont traded scoreless frames through the next three innings before Clark's grand slam in the top of the seventh inning. The round-tripper was followed by an Allison RBI walk. BC then scored a run on a double play before Peter Fumero's RBI single made it 10-2.
Piedmont got a run in the bottom of the seventh before a three-run bottom of the eighth inning made it a 10-6 contest. The Lions cut the deficit in half with a two-RBI triple, but Bowers shut the door to clinch the 10-8 win for Brevard.
The Tornados travel to Berea, Kentucky for a three-game series against Berea College on Saturday and Sunday, March 4-5.
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-BC-