Ouzts’ Two Homers Power Presbyterian Past Gardner-Webb for Series Sweep

The Presbyterian College baseball team (12-13, Big South: 4-2) capped off its first Big South series sweep of the season with a thrilling 16-13 victory over Gardner-Webb (11-14, Big South: 1-5) on Sunday evening. Powered by two home runs from Ryan Ouzts, the Blue Hose battled through an offensive showdown to secure the win in game three.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Gardner-Webb struck early, plating four runs in the top of the first inning.
• Presbyterian responded immediately. Andrew Albertus led off with a bunt single, followed by an Aaron Hobson base hit to left, putting runners on the corners. Jake Randolph drew a walk to load the bases, setting up an Amman Dewberry sacrifice fly to get PC on the board. After Matthew Rollison walked to reload the bases, Ouzts delivered a clutch three-RBI double to clear them. Moments later, he capitalized on a throw down to second to score another run, giving the Blue Hose a 5-4 lead after one.
• The Runnin’ Bulldogs regained control, scoring once in the second and adding five more in the third behind their third grand slam of the series, pushing them ahead 10-5.
• Presbyterian responded strong in the fourth, exploding for eight runs. Ouzts led off with a solo dinger to left. Ryan Becker followed with a single, and Brody Linker drew a walk. With Rhogue Wallace pinch-running for Becker, Eli Lazio laid down a perfect bunt single to load the bases. Albertus, Hobson, Randolph, and Dewberry each worked walks to bring in four runs. Later in the inning, Wallace stepped up for his first at-bat and roped a three-RBI double down the left field line, putting the Blue Hose ahead 13-11.
• Gardner-Webb chipped away, scoring a run in both the fifth and sixth innings to cut the deficit to 13-12.
• Ouzts continued his hot streak in the bottom of the sixth, launching his second home run of the game over the left-field wall.
• A scoreless seventh set up a tense eighth, where Gardner-Webb added another run to make it a one-run game at 14-13.
• Presbyterian added key insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, thanks to hits from Randolph, Rollison, and Ouzts, as well as walks from Dewberry and Linker, extending the lead to 16-13.
• Jacob Fields closed the door in the ninth, striking out two and holding the Bulldogs scoreless to earn his fifth save of the season and clinch the sweep for the Blue Hose with a 16-13 victory in game three.

NOTABLES

• Fields’ fifth save of the season ties him for seventh in program history and marks the first time a PC pitcher has recorded five saves in a year since Max Fischer in 2004. In the Division I era, he now sits in sixth place, with Ryan Hedrick holding the DI record with 10 saves in 2017.
• Ouzts finished with four hits (a single, double, and two homers), bringing his season totals to a team-leading six home runs and six doubles. His six RBI’s marked a season-high for the senior.
• Wallace recorded his first double of the season with a crucial three-RBI hit in the fourth inning.
• Linker drew three walks, tying the team’s season-high set by Albertus earlier this year.

UP NEXT

Presbyterian hits the road for a midweek matchup against the Clemson Tigers on Wednesday, March 23 with a first pitch set for 6:00 p.m.