Baseball Clinches Big South Regular Season Title Following Asheville Sweep

The Presbyterian College Blue Hose baseball team (29-25, BSC: 18-6) celebrated a historic achievement by sweeping the UNC Asheville Bulldogs (22-28, BSC: 10-14) in a thrilling series finale on Friday. This sweep crowned Presbyterian the Big South regular season champions for the first time in the program’s history.

COACH POLLOCK’S THOUGHTS
“I can’t express how proud I am of these young men. They come out every day and put it all on the line for the game and for each other. 18 conference wins is something that will be remembered forever and this final series gave the fans one last chance to see them in action before we move on to postseason. It was a collective effort, and several guys contributed to this monumental achievement. I’d like to take this moment to thank our administration and my coaches for their continued hard work and dedication to this team. Go Blue Hose!

HOW IT HAPPENED
GAME #1
– The Blue Hose struck first in the bottom of the second inning. Jake Randolph got things started with a single to center field, followed by Evan Cuervo’s single through the left side, advancing Randolph to second. Jackson Hugus then loaded the bases with another single to left field. Holden Baker capitalized on this opportunity, hitting a sacrifice fly to bring Randolph home for the first run of the game.
– Charlie McDaniel dominated on the mound, keeping the Bulldogs scoreless in the top of the third inning with three strikeouts.
-In the bottom half of the third, Jay Wetherington drew a leadoff walk before advancing to second. Joel Dragoo was intentionally walked, putting runners on first and second. A wild pitch advanced both runners, and Randolph delivered a clutch two-RBI single to left field, extending the Blue Hose lead to 3-0.
– The momentum continued in the fourth inning. Jack Gorman doubled to right field, and another walk drawn by Wetherington set the stage. Brody Fahr’s single loaded the bases, and Dragoo lined a two-RBI double down the left field line, making it 5-0.
– In the sixth inning, Wetherington bunted for a single and advanced to second on a throwing error. He moved to third on the next play, and Dragoo was intentionally walked again. Noah Lebron’s sacrifice fly brought Wetherington home, increasing the lead to 6-0.
– Asheville fought back with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning and added another run in the eighth, cutting PC’s lead to 6-3. However, Presbyterian held Asheville scoreless in the ninth to secure the win.

GAME #1 NOTABLES
– Jack Gorman hit his fourth double of the season in the fourth inning.
– Joel Dragoo’s double in the fourth marked his 20th of the year.
– Gorman set a new season-high with two doubles in one game.
– Charlie McDaniel pitched 7.1 innings, striking out eight and allowing just three runs.

GAME #2
– Wetherington set the tone early, drawing a walk as the leadoff batter, advancing to second on the next play, and stealing third. He then capitalized on a wild pitch to score the game’s first run.
– In the bottom of the second inning, Rhogue Wallace singled through the left side with two outs. Eli Lazio drew a walk, putting runners on first and second. Wetherington then singled through the left side, bringing Wallace home for the second run.
– Asheville tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the third inning. However, Presbyterian regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with Cuervo’s RBI single to right field.
– The Blue Hose broke the game open in the seventh inning, scoring four runs on hits from Dragoo, Randolph, Gorman, and Cuervo, extending their lead to 7-2.
– The score remained unchanged through nine innings, securing Presbyterian’s sweep.

UP NEXT
Presbyterian’s three game sweep over Asheville secured their first ever Big South regular season title. The Blue Hose are set to compete as the top seed in the Big South Conference Tournament in High Point, N.C. with the first game on Thursday, May 23.