BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College baseball team (16-6, 6-0 USA South) used a three-run eighth inning to pull away from Pfeiffer University (3-12, 0-6 USAS), defeating the Falcons 7-5 to sweep the first home USA South Conference of the season for the Tornados on a cloudy Sunday afternoon at Gil Coan Field.
Leading by one run for a majority of the middle innings, 4-3, Brevard scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth and then held off a late ninth-inning Falcon rally to secure the series sweep. Brevard's 6-0 start in conference play is the best in the program's NCAA-era history.
Jacob Thompson (3-1) earned the victory on the mound for the Tornados, going six innings allowing eight hits and two earned runs with three total strikeouts. Jacob Frizzell, Cesar Rodriguez, and Bryce Bowers all combined for the final three innings of relief to hold off the Falcons late.
Frankie Vasquez and Parker Crews each had three-hit performances to lead the Tornado offense that totaled 13 hits as a unit. Vasquez hit two doubles and totaled two RBIs and a run scored while Crews added a double of his own to go along with an RBI. Logan Clark went 2-for-4 with a record-breaking triple as the Tornados broke the single-season NCAA-era triples record with their 13th of the season.
Clark notched two RBIs and two runs scored, while Lucas Granata also tallied a two-hit performance. Blake Burchett got on base twice via walk and scored both times while also stealing his 23rd base of the season.
Four Falcons got two hits apiece, including former five-year Tornado student-athlete Christian Ezzell who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a double. Sam Safrit (0-1) was saddled with the loss after five and two-third innings of solid relief work for the Falcons, allowing one run on eight hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Ezzell singled home Zach Ferrell to get things going for the visitors in the top of the first inning. Josh Turner then hit a two-out RBI single up the middle, and a throwing error caused another run to come across the plate making it a 3-0 ballgame after the top of the first inning.
Vasquez got the Tornados on the board in the bottom-half of the frame with an RBI double that scored Clark before Crews hit an infield single that brought Cale Oehler in to score as the Tornados' two-out rally proved fruitful cutting the deficit to one run, 3-2, after one inning of action.
Clark scored Burchett on an RBI single in the bottom of the second to tie things up at three runs apiece before Brevard took the lead for good after a Granata single plated Vasquez in the bottom of the third to give BC a 4-3 advantage.
Neither side scored through the next four innings as both pitching staffs found a groove. The Falcons left the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the sixth as a stellar play from Burchett kept the Tornados on top by one run, 4-3.
Frizzell came on in relief of Thompson in the top of the seventh and after two quick outs, two consecutive walks brought Rodriguez into the game. The junior lefty forced a flyout to keep the Tornados on top by one run.
After Rodriguez sat down the Falcons in the top of the eighth with a double play and a strikeout, the Tornados secured all of the insurance runs that they would need with a Clark RBI triple, an Oehler RBI double, and a Vasquez RBI double.
Bowers came on to wrap up the contest in the ninth, but was met by a late Falcon rally as Pfeiffer scored two runs quickly and had runners on first and second with one out following an error by the Tornados. Bowers forced a strikeout and a pop out to end the contest, as Brevard earned the series sweep over the Falcons.
The Tornados put their six-game win streak to the test tomorrow as Williams College visits Gil Coan Field, with first pitch slated for 3 p.m.
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-BC-