FLORENCE, Ky. – Thomas More Stadium played host to a makeshift home game for Centre baseball as the Colonels took on in-state rival Transylvania. Typical of the rivalry matchups in the past, tonight's game featured numerous odd plays, but in the end, Centre used two big innings to defeat the Pioneers 11-6.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- Centre first cracked the scoreboard in the third inning as
Mark Pyburn led off by ripping a double down the right field line. After a passed ball put him on third,
Jordan Gunter brought him home with an RBI groundout to produce the game's first run, and then went full extension in shallow center field to rob Transy of a base hit the next inning.
- In the fourth, the Colonels put a pair of runs on the board as
Patrick Hope and
Will Ahrens scored after a series of passed balls and wild pitches.
Josh Cunningham delivered the third run of the inning with a base hit up the middle and Centre went up 4-0.
- The Pioneers battled back in the fifth with four runs of their own to tie the score, and the game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh.
- Gunter led off with a walk and then advanced to second when a pickoff attempt wound up in the outfield. Cunningham legged out a bunt single and
Teddy Holloway was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The runners advanced after a rare balk call, scoring the first run of the inning. Pinch hitter
Cole Fergusson was hit and
Luc Morgan drove in Cunningham with an RBI groundout to make it 6-4. Ahrens followed with a two-RBI single and
Conner Jackson doubled into the gap to give the Colonels a 9-4 lead.
- After allowing two runs in the top of the eighth, the Colonels got the runs back in the bottom of the inning as an error and a single by Fergusson led to Centre taking a five-run lead once again.
- Reliever
Luc Morgan struck out the final two batters of the game to secure the victory for the Colonels.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Colonels needed just eight hits to tally their 11 runs. Cunningham finished with three hits to lead all players.
- The Centre offense also benefited from nine walks on the evening, with fifth-year seniors Gunter and Hope leading the way with three each.
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Karson Thompson got the win in relief for the Colonels, pitching two scoreless frames after Transylvania had come back to tie the game in the fourth.
- All five Centre pitchers recorded at least one strikeout as the team reached 11 strikeouts for the game. Morgan paced the Colonels, fanning five of the six Transy hitters he retired.
NEXT UP
Centre baseball will open its brand new stadium complex this weekend as the Colonels will play host to Hendrix, starting with a doubleheader on Sunday.
