Walk-Off Win, Upset Highlights Day Two of the Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship
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GASTONIA, N.C. – The double-elimination portion of the 2023 Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship began with a bang on Thursday, May 4 at CaroMont Health Park in Gastonia, North Carolina and saw Barton, Francis Marion and UNC Pembroke all remain unbeaten.
Third-seeded and 19th-ranked UNC Pembroke provided the fireworks in the first game of the day as the Braves got a walk-off single from backup catcher Jonathan Barham to defeat fourth-seeded and 14th-ranked Mount Olive in game three of the tournament. The Braves scored first on a double from Kody O’Connor in the first before Vito Patierno doubled home a pair in the third to put the Trojans ahead. Ethan Ott plated two with a single in the third to put UNCP back in front and Spencer Faulkner made it 4-2 with a base hit, also in the third. The score remained that way until JT Stone deposited the ball over the right field wall in the eighth to tie the game. UNCP stranded the bases loaded in the eighth, but in the 10th, with the bases loaded again, Barham delivered the clutch base hit for the 5-4 win.
UNCP outhit Mount Olive, 12-8, and were led offensively by Christian Jayne (2 runs scored) and O’Connor (one RBI) who each had three hits in five at-bats in the contest. Patierno (two RBIs), Stone (2 RBIs, 1 run) and Alden Cottle each had two hits to lead Mount Olive. Trent Harris (7-3) earned the win in relief as he allowed two runs on four hits over four innings with two strikeouts and a walk while Justin Koehler took a no-decision but kept UMO in the game with 4.2 scoreless innings of relief as he struck out five with two walks and three hits.
Game four of the tournament was dominated by the second-seeded Bulldogs of Barton as Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Year Tanner Halvorson (11-2) tossed a complete-game shutout with six hits and eight strikeouts. The offense did the rest in a 9-0 victory over No. 5 seed Belmont Abbey as they collected 13 hits in the win. Salvatore Laimo gave Halvorson all the support he needed in the second inning with an RBI single and Carelle Gonzlaez added to the lead with a sacrifice fly. Raymond Paniagua then broke the game open in the fifth inning with the first of three Barton home runs, a three-run shot over the right-field fence, for a 5-0 advantage. Gonzalez added a solo shot in the frame before the Bulldogs added single tallies in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings for the final margin.
Joshua Hoffman, who hit the third home run, a solo shot in the eighth inning, paced the Barton offense with a 3-for-3 day with two runs scored and two RBIs. Paniagua and Chase Waddell each had two hits while all nine starters had at least one hit. Connor Powell led Belmont Abbey with a pair of hits.
In the fifth game of the tournament, four balls left the yard and it was sixth-seeded Francis Marion who upset top-seeded and top-ranked North Greenville 15-5 in seven innings to remain in the winners bracket. The Patriots struck first in the top of the second as Charlie Bussey III sent a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for a two-run home run. Will Hardee matched his teammate with a two-run shot to left center in the third to push the lead to four. Cory Bivins responded for NGU with a two-run home run to left center to cut the lead in half, but three more FMU runs in the fourth, highlighted by a Zack Summerville ground-rule double, pushed the lead to five, 7-2. The Patriots added a run in the fifth then put the game away with a seven-run sixth inning for a 15-2 advantage. North Greenville added three in the sixth, highlighted by a John Michael Faile two-run home run off the light pole in right field, his 74th career dinger, one shy of tying the NCAA Division II career record.
Chas DeBruhl (6-4) earned the win, his second this season against the Crusaders, as he allowed five runs on four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work. Francis Marion tallied 14 hits led by Caleb Oakley who went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, Summerville had two hits, scored once and drove in three and Isaac Schuck added two hits, scored twice and drove in three. Five different Crusaders collected a hit in the contest.
On Friday, top-seeded North Greenville and fifth-seeded Belmont Abbey will square off at 11 a.m. in an elimination game with No. 6 Francis Marion taking on No. 4 Mount Olive at 3 p.m. in an elimination game for the Trojans. Second-seeded Barton faces No. 3 UNC Pembroke at 7 p.m. at CaroMont Health Park.
Fans can watch every game of the tournament live via the Conference Carolinas Digital Network and BlueFrame at conferencecarolinasdn.com. Information regarding the championship schedule, bracket and CaroMont Health Park, home of the tournament host Gastonia Honey Hunters, are available
here.
2023 Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship
CaroMont Health Park | Gastonia, N.C.
Play-in Round – Wednesday, May 3
Game 1: #5 Belmont Abbey def. #8 Emmanuel, 10-3 (Box Score)
Game 2: #6 Francis Marion vs. #7 Erskine, 3-1 (Box Score)
First Round - Thursday, May 4
Game 3: #3 UNC Pembroke def. #4 Mount Olive, 5-4 (10) (Box Score)
Game 4: #2 Barton def. #5 Belmont Abbey, 9-0 (Box Score)
Game 5: #6 Francis Marion def. #1 North Greenville, 15-5 (7) (Box Score)
Second Round - Friday, May 5
Game 6: #1 North Greenville vs. #5 Belmont Abbey, 11 a.m.
Game 7: #6 Francis Marion vs. #4 Mount Olive, 3 p.m.
Game 8: #2 Barton vs. #3 UNC Pembroke, 7 p.m.
If four teams remain after Game 8
Semifinal Round - Saturday, May 6
Game 9: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8, 11 a.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 3 p.m.
Game 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Loser Game 10, 7 p.m.
Championship - Sunday, May 7
Game 12: Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 13: Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 12, 4 p.m. (If Necessary)
If five teams remain after Game 8 and two after Game 11
Semifinal Round - Saturday, May 6
Game 9: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 7, 11 a.m.
Game 10: Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 3 p.m.
Game 11: Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 8, 7 p.m.
Championship - Sunday, May 7
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 13: Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 12, 4 p.m. (If Necessary)
If five teams remain after Game 8 and three after Game 11
Championship - Sunday, May 7
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 13: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, 4 p.m.