WISE – The Highland Cavalier baseball team had five runs off of eight hits, but in the end Johnson University took the 11-5 win at Stallard Field Tuesday afternoon.
Johnson, the fifth-ranked team in the NAIA who are coached by former Tennessee Head Coach Dave Serrano, had thirteen hits for the day.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Result: #5 Johnson 11, UVA Wise 5
Records: UVA Wise (10-31), Johnson (33-7)
Location: Wise, VA | Burchell Stallard Field
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UVA Wise managed 8 hits, including 2 home runs, but was unable to overcome Johnson University Tennessee's 13-hit effort, which included 4 home runs.
- Johnson scored four runs in the first inning, initiated by Luke Wilson's single and subsequent scoring on a throw, followed by Mitchell Birdsall's two-run homer.
- In the second inning, the Cavaliers managed to get on the board when
Drew Knight scored an unearned run following a throwing error and a single by
Tyler Jones, making it 4-1.
- The fourth inning saw
Bernard Creque drawing a walk and scoring on a double by Jones, bringing the score to 4-2.
- Johnson University extended its lead significantly in the fifth inning, scoring five runs. This included a two-run homer by Jesse Rojas and a two-RBI single by Wilson. The Highland Cavaliers responded with a run when
Luke Johnson scored on Knight's double, advancing the score to 9-3 after five innings.
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Connor Hillier's solo home run in the sixth inning brought another run for the Cavs, while Birdsall's second homer of the game added to Johnson's tally, concluding the inning at 10-4.
- In the ninth inning,
Carter Babb hit a solo home run for UVA Wise. Despite this, the Royals held a commanding lead throughout, and the final score was 11-5 in favor of Johnson.
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Ean Marria pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits while striking out two batters and walking two.
Braden Hamilton faced three batters without recording an out, yielding three earned runs on two hits and a walk.
Tyler Gorbett contributed 1 2/3 innings, giving up one earned run on two hits while striking out one and walking one.
Jake DeNeef pitched one inning, surrendering one earned run on one hit and one walk. Jack Wuerdeman delivered a solid performance with a scoreless inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced.
Sawyer Patrick closed the game with one inning, allowing one hit and throwing six strikes out of 10 pitches.
- Babb made a notable impact by hitting a home run and driving in one run. Hillier also contributed with a home run, adding one run and one RBI to his performance. Jones recorded two hits and drove in two runs, including a double. Knight added to the team's offense with a double, scoring one run and collecting one RBI.
UP NEXT
The Cavs will travel to face Anderson in a South Atlantic Conference series this Friday and Saturday.
