WISE - - A trio of freshman pitchers recorded collegiate firsts Saturday as UVA Wise scored a doubleheader sweep of visiting Lincoln Memorial by scores of 2-1 and 6-5 in South Atlantic Conference baseball action at Stallard Field.
GAME BY GAME
GAME ONE
SWAPPING RUNS
Each school scored a single run in the first inning as Sam Mast plated Cameron Bowen to put LMU in front 1-0. A half inning later, with two outs and runners on the corners UVA Wise tied the game. Clay Taylor took off to steal second base and when the throw went down, Bret Roberts darted home from third to tie the game.
PITCHING DUEL
The game would be highlighted by a pitcher's duel as the Railsplitters' Patrick Queener and the Cavaliers' Brock Duff would trade zeros.
Duff would retire 14 consecutive hitters after allowing the first two men of the game to reach base. It would be the highlight of a seven inning, six strikeout day for the right-hander.
Queener was nearly equally impressive as he fanned 11 over six innings of work.
CAVS GO IN FRONT
Brandon Costa's team would use "small ball" to take the lead in the fifth inning. JoJo Kelliher beat out an infield single to shortstop before a walk to D'Sean Prinkleton. After a strikeout, DJ Dickson legged out an infield hit to load the bases before an RBI groundout from Bret Roberts gave UVA Wise a 2-1 lead.
NEAR MISS
LMU's best chance to take the lead came in the eighth when Sam Mast belted a shot down the left field line with a runner on. With wind gusting upwards of 20 mph toward left, the ball would be pushed foul preserving the lead for UVA Wise.
ANDERSON SLAMS THE DOOR
Hunter Anderson would fire two scoreless innings of relief to seal the victory for the Cavs to tie the series at a game each to earn his first save of the year.
BOX SCORE NOTES
Dickson recorded two hits, the first of his collegiate career. LMU pitchers fanned 16 UVA Wise hitters in the game but 'Splitters hitters tallied just five hits.
GAME TWO
UVA WISE GOES ON TOP EARLY
The Cavs jumped out in front with a three-run first inning. Cole Harness was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Clay Taylor lined a two-run double to stake right-handed pitcher Justin Snider to an early lead.
PLAYING ADD-ON
After LMU scored a single run in the top of the second, UVA Wise tacked on three more runs in the home second. Tyler Campbell lined a sacrifice fly, Harness ripped a RBI double and later scored on a throwing error to account for the three runs.
'SPLITTERS BATTLE BACK
A two-out two-run by Tyler Hagan made it a 6-3 game in the third. The score would remain unchanged until the sixth when Hagan cut the deficit to two when he scampered home on a wild pitch.
NERVOUS SEVENTH
The 'Splitters would mount a rally in their final trip to the plate trailing by a pair. An infield single started the frame before an error put runners on first and third with nobody out. David Kelliher would then induce a ground ball double play and while a run scored, it left the bases empty with two outs in the inning. Kelliher would then strikeout Mast to end the game, earning his first collegiate save and giving Snider his first collegiate win.
BOX SCORE NOTES
Snider struck out three while allowing two earned runs over four innings of work before Ryan Whitson and David Kelliher pitched in relief to preserve the win. Roberts walked twice and scored two runs from his leadoff position.
UP NEXT
UVA Wise is schedule to be back in action Wednesday in a home doubleheader against Concord.
