CENTRAL, S.C. - - UVA Wise and Southern Wesleyan split a non-conference baseball doubleheader Saturday. The visiting Cavaliers claimed a 7-6 win in the finale to give Head Coach Brandon Costa his first managerial victory as a collegiate coach after the Warriors picked up an 8-7 triumph in game one.
UVA Wise (1-2) scored the game-winning run in the sixth inning of game two when Hunter Meador was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded allowing Evan Stanley to trot home.
The Cavs held a 2-0 lead after two innings of play thanks to RBI singles by D'Sean Prinkleton and Bret Roberts. Southern Wesleyan (2-1) took a 3-2 lead in the third inning without an RBI hit. The Warriors scored their first run on a bases loaded hit by pitch before scoring a pair of runs on a passed ball.
UVA Wise retook the lead a half inning later on a bases loaded walk from Justin Reed and a passed ball. The trend continued an inning later when two more hit by pitches pushed Costa's Cavs in front 6-3.
A three-run home fifth by Southern Wesleyan tied the contest as Chance Fogel and Ty King Richards had an RBI each before Fogel tied the game on a passed ball.
Meador's hit by pitch set the stage for Nash Bingham to finish the deal and give Costa his first win. The freshman allowed a base runner but no more as he completed three innings of relief work to earn his first collegiate victory.
Bingham finished with four strikeouts over three innings of work while allowing an earned run to pick up his first collegiate mound win.
The Cavs lined 12 hits in the win, three coming from leadoff man Roberts who finished 3-for-5 with an RBI.
In game one, UVA Wise jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning off of a grand slam by Cole Harness but would be unable to hold the lead.
Meador added an RBI sacrafice fly while Harness and Reed tacked on a RBI hit each. Â
Southern Wesleyan won the game in large part due to the bat of Josh Galloway who collected four RBI, including a game-winning two-run double in the sixth inning.
Harness finished the game with five RBI while Jude Drzemiecki joined Harness with two hits.
The Cavs will be back in action Tuesday at King for a doubleheader starting at 11:30 a.m.
