BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Centre baseball made program history as they took the series finale against the Birmingham-Southern Panthers by a score of 4-0 behind a dominant pitching performance. It is the first time the Colonels have ever defeated the top ranked team in the country.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- The first fireworks came in the top of the third.
Teddy Holloway led off by reaching on an error. True to their form this season, the Colonels made their opponents pay for the error as
Josh Cunningham blasted a two-run homer to put the Colonels on top early.
-
Josh Livengood mowed down the Panthers in order the next two innings before encountering a jam in the fifth inning.
Aidan Christmas came on in relief with runners on the corners, but the freshman recorded a clutch strikeout to preserve Centre's 2-0 lead.
- With the Panthers still unable to get a hit, Centre added to the lead in the seventh. Cunningham found himself on second after another BSC error. After stealing third,
Mark Pyburn lifted a fly ball deep enough to get Cunningham across the plate for a key insurance run and a 3-0 lead.
- BSC finally got their first hit in the eighth, but
Evan Weyler nailed the runner with a strike on a stolen base attempt, and then Christmas induced a pair of groundouts to keep the shutout intact.
- In the ninth,
Matthew Maggard was hit by a pitch to lead off and advanced to second on a passed ball. After being sacrificed to third, Weyler ripped a base hit to plate the fourth run of the game for the Colonels.
- Christmas got all three BSC hitters to fly out in the ninth to secure the victory for Centre.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Centre pitching duo of Livengood and Christmas were fantastic as both hurlers had their best outings of the season. The Colonels held BSC to just one hit on the day and only two Panther baserunners reached scoring position in by far the worst offensive performance of the season for the top ranked Panthers.
- Weyler had an excellent day overall, going 3-4 at the plate with the clutch RBI single in the ninth and throwing out a baserunner in the eighth.
- With their 24th victory on the year, the Colonels tie the 2019 squad for the most single-season wins in program history. Centre's 12 conference victories are also a school record.
NEXT UP
The Colonels will return to action on Tuesday as they travel up the road to face the Spalding Golden Eagles. Centre defeated Spalding 8-5 in Danville on Apr. 4.
