CENTRAL, S.C. – Southern Wesleyan baseball dropped a pair of games to Emmanuel on Saturday, falling 5-3 and 10-7 in Conference Carolinas action at Connor Field.

The Warriors are scheduled to visit Anderson University on Wednesday in the first of four meetings this year. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Game One
Both teams scored three in the first before the starting pitchers settled in. The Lions collected six of their 13 hits in the first inning as Bo Hardman delivered the big blow, a two-run homer to give the Lions a 3-0 lead. Emmanuel put two more runners in scoring position before Hamilton Hartsell escaped the jam with a pop out.

In the bottom half of the inning it was the Warriors' turn to put up some runs. Jason Moldenhauer led off with a single to left and moved to second on a single by Drew Carson. Josh Shimp followed with a triple down the right field line, scoring on an error on the play.

Riley Sparks allowed just three hits to the Warriors after the first three batters of the game. The Warriors had a chance in the fourth as Julio Lara singled with one out to start a rally. With two outs Luke Hostetler singled but Lara was thrown out at the plate trying to score on the play.

Emmanuel put runners on in every inning but the second as Hartsell stranded eight in the game. The Lions finally broke through in the sixth though. Conner Smith led off the inning with a single and after a ground out from Dacen Cash, Elliot Beard hit a two-run homer to give the Lions a 5-3 lead.

With the loss Hartsell falls to 0-5 on the year. The sophomore allowed 13 hits and five runs but struck out a career-high seven in his first complete game. Sparks picked up the win to improve to 1-3. Sparks struck out five and allowed six hits and three runs in the complete game. He did not walk a batter.

Game Two
The Warriors took an early 4-0 lead with four runs in the first inning but Emmanuel responded with six in the second to take control.

In that first inning the Warriors had five of their 13 hits. Julio Lara and Luke Hostetler each had RBI doubles as Daniel Coleman and Johnny Ponder also collected run-scoring hits. Lara finished the game with four hits as Hostetler added three. Jason Moldenhauer also had three hits.

In the second the Lions scored six times thanks in part to an error which allowed two of the six runs to be unearned.

Lara hit his second homer of the season in the third to bring the Warriors back to within one at 6-5. Ponder was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double before Lara's blast. Moldenhauer knocked in a run in the sixth with a single up the middle to score Hostetler. Matt Costa had a pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth.

Tyler Rio took the loss for the Warriors after five innings of work. The freshman allowed 10 hits and eight runs, just five earned. He walked three and struck out four.