WISE - - Cole Harness' seventh-inning grand slam put an exclamation point on a day that saw UVA Wise line seven extra-base hits en route to a 20-9 non-conference baseball victory over King at Stallard Field Wednesday. The win halted what was a seven-game losing skid for the Cavaliers who secured their second home victory of the season.
UVA Wise (10-19) never came to bat while trailing. Cavalier starter Jake Taylor retired King (10-15) in order in the top of the first inning as the freshman earned the first mound win of his collegiate career.
In the home first, Nick Badgett scored the game's first run on a wild pitch, starting an eight-run inning for Brandon Costa's club.
Badgett would later cap the inning with a two-run blast over the left field wall. Morgan Miller also knocked in a pair in the inning with Matt Frye, Dakota Sisson and Evan Stanley each knocking in a run.
King responded with a trio of runs in the top of the third as an error preceded a run-scoring double by Nick Valentin and an RBI double by Caden Goodwin.
Leading 8-3, the Cavs pushed the lead to seven in the home third with D'Sean Prinkleton scoring on a wild pitch and Sisson doubling in Harness.
After the Tornado scored a single run in the third on a Jake Lathrop RBI single, an RBI groundout by Cole Harness plated Badgett. DJ Dickson would tack on a second run in the frame when he scored on a wild pitch.
King scored five times in the fifth to cut the deficit to 12-9. The first run scored on a balk before Chase Hilliard, Wes Bonney and Garrett Huffman all had an RBI each to make it 12-8. The last run of the frame came on an error as Bonney scored to make it a three-run affair.
A Frye two-run blast in the fifth pushed the UVA Wise lead to 14-9 before Harness walked with the bases load to make it 15-9 in the sixth.
Jeb Hurst made it a seven-run game with a sacrifice fly before Harness' seventh-inning grand slam provided the final margin of 20-9.
David Kelliher and Braden Hamilton each pitched perfect innings of relief for the Cavs. Overall, seven UVA Wise hurlers fanned six hitters against just three walks. Conversely, eight King pitchers walked 16 while surrendering 10 hits in defeat.
Badgett finished 3-for-3 while scoring a career-high five runs while Harness knocked in six runs for the winners. Badgett, Prinketon, Sisson and Miller all doubled in the game as part of the seven extra-hit eruption.
Jace Spivey joined Valentin and Goodwin with two hits each in the loss.
Next, the Cavs return to league play when the team hosts Anderson this weekend.
