Berry Baseball Drops Doubleheader
Tony Potts
03-14-2010
The Berry baseball team lost a pair of close games -- 4-5 and 1-3 -- in a road doubleheader with Southern Polytechnic on Sunday. The losses drop the Vikings to 11-9 this season, while the series sweep gives the Hornets a record of 25-2 this season.
In the first game, Berry had a 4-3 lead before SPSU rallied for two runs in the sixth inning to get the win. Mason Heller had the key hit, a two-RBI double that gave the hosts the 5-4 lead.
The rally gave DJ Nordquist (2-1) the win as he pitched 3.1 innings of relief and struck out three batters. Berry`s Trent Hillis (2-1) suffered his first loss of the year, despite striking out four batters and allowing just six hits in 4.1 innings of work.
Harman Watkins led Berry with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate. He had a two-RBI single that helped the Vikings score three runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-2 lead. He also scored a run in the first inning to put Berry up 1-0.
The fourth inning rally started with three, two-out singles from Cory Pitts, Blake Reynolds and Brock Anderson. Pitts and Anderson finished 1-for-2, while Reynolds was 1-for-3.
Heller was 2-for-3 to lead Southern Poly. Heller was the only player with more than one hit for the Hornets, but Jono Waugh and Josh Grooms both had RBIs.
In the nightcap, the Hornets once again scored late to spoil a solid pitching performance, this time from Berry`s Casey Gray (1-2). The freshman started the game and threw five innings allowing just one run and three hits before leaving with a no-decision.
Brandon Chastain had the game-winning hit for SPSU with an RBI-double in the sixth inning. He later came in to score on a pinch-hit single by Edwin Sparks that made it 3-1.
The rally gave reliever Hunter Dinsmore (2-0) the win, as he allowed just one hit over the final two innings. Mike Dunlavy (0-2) suffered the loss in relief for Berry.
Reynolds was 2-for-2 with an RBI-triple to lead all Berry batters. He drove in Mitch Terry who was 1-for-3 in the game. Watkins also added a double, making him a combined 4-for-5 over the course of both games.
Heller was 2-for-2 with a solo home run in the second inning that tied the score 1-1 and was the only run scored against Gray. Chastain finished the game 2-for-3.
Berry will look to end its current four-game losing streak on Friday when the team faces Shorter. The two local rivals will play a three-game series starting with a nine-inning game on Friday at 1 p.m. followed by a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon
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