DANVILLE, Ky. – The Centre baseball team played its third different ranked team of the young season as the Colonels welcomed the no. 20 Berry Vikings to Gary Wright Field for the first half of a four-game set. After allowing a late rally to the Vikings in a 9-4 loss, Centre rebounded with a 5-0 shutout in seven innings thanks to a brilliant pitching performance by Carson Werrmann.
 
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS
 
- Berry struck quickly in their first time at bat, scoring four runs in the first inning and putting Centre in the unfamiliar position of playing from behind.
- The Colonels chipped away slowly, starting in the bottom of the first as Jordan Gunter led off with a walk, stole second and eventually scored following a single by Patrick Hope and a Berry error.
- Centre made it 4-2 in the second with a two-out rally. Jamie Laframboise singled and made his way to second after a Vikings error. Consecutive hits by Will Cline and Gunter followed to put the second run on the board for the Colonels.
- In the fourth, the Colonels cut the deficit to one run after a solo homer by Hope, his first of the year.
- Rookie hurler Jess Miller settled down after the initial Berry onslaught, striking out eight batters through five innings and keeping the Colonels in the game.
- Gunter manufactured the tying run in the sixth inning on his own as he doubled into the gap, stole third and then scored on a passed ball to even the score at 4-4.
- The Vikings recaptured the momentum in the eighth, scoring five runs on four hits and an error to provide the final 9-4 margin.
 
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS
 
- The second game was a pitchers' duel until the fourth inning when the Colonels struck. Jake Holloway led off with a walk and scored after a double from Chris Esselman. Two batters later, Dillon Di Iorio launched a two-run homer to put the Colonels up by three.
- The score remained 3-0 until the sixth, when the Colonels once again started a rally with a leadoff walk by Holloway. Following a sacrifice, J. Ross lined a base hit up the middle to bring Holloway home. Cole Fergusson pinch ran for Ross, stole second and scored on a single by Di Iorio.
- In the seventh, Werrmann got into trouble for the first time in the game, allowing singles to the first two batters. He then proceeded to strike out the next three Vikings he faced to lock up the complete game shutout.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORES
 
- Playing in his first game since Feb. 21, Gunter had a productive return to baseball in game 1, going 2-4 at the plate with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored.
- Miller's eight strikeouts in game 1 nearly doubled his season total to 17.
- Making his first start since Mar. 7 of last year, Werrmann tossed an absolute gem, allowing just three hits and three walks while striking out eight on 109 pitches.
- Prior to facing Werrmann, Berry had won nine straight games and averaged over 12 runs per game during that stretch.
- Di Iorio was the only Centre player with multiple hits in game 2, driving in three runs. His third inning blast gave him homers in consecutive series.
 
NEXT UP
 
Centre baseball will wrap up its series against Berry with two more games on Sunday.