Tigerville, SC – Southern Wesleyan dropped the final two games of the series against the North Greenville Crusaders. They fell in game one 15-0 before dropping the second game in a 19-12 final score.
The Warriors had three hits in the game. Travis Hammond doubled. Southern Wesleyan was walked three times and Jackson Mix was hit by two pitches. Steven Mufareh started the game and pitched 1.2 innings while striking out two. George Schodowski and Clifton Olmstead came in to pitch in relief. Olmstead also struck out two batters.
Southern Wesleyan totaled 14 hits in game two of the afternoon. Chance Fogel led the team with four hits. Four Warriors followed with two hits. Fogel recorded a home run and triple. Clifton Olmstead also homered in the game. Both Jackson Mix and TJ Highsmith doubled. Fogel picked up six RBIs with Olmstead following with two. The Warriors walked 10 times and Travis Hammond stole a base. Cord Babcock started the final game of the series on the mound and struck out three over 3.2 innings pitched. Ash Faulk, Mikah Gustavson, Sandy Johnson and Aidan Evans all came in to pitch in relief. Gustavson struck out two.
Game Vitals
Game One Final: North Greenville 15, Southern Wesleyan 0
Game Two Final: North Greenville 19, Southern Wesleyan 12
Records: Southern Wesleyan (14-35 / CC 8-22) North Greenville (44-6 / CC 26-4)
How It Happened
Game One
The Crusaders struck first in the second game of the series as a sacrifice fly out by Chlup and home runs by Faile and Dierdorf gave them a 3-0 run advantage in the first inning. North Grenville would not relent their attacks as they brought in eleven more runs in to score in the bottom of the second inning.
Southern Wesleyan challenged in the top of the seventh inning as with two outs walks to Patrick Walker, Dawson Gilstrap and Travis Hammond loaded up the bases. However, a line out to shortstop by Jackson Mix ended the inning. The Crusaders went on to win game one in a 15-0 final score.
Game Two
North Greenville attacked first in the second game of the afternoon as they brought seven runs in to score in the bottom of the second inning.
The Warriors countered in the top of the third inning. Dawson Gilstrap led off the inning by hitting a single through the right side. A walk to Blayze Haddock allowed Gilstrap to advance to second. Jackson Mix singled through the right side to load up the bases. With one out, Chance Fogel drilled the ball over the right center field wall for his second grand slam home run of the season to put the Warriors back within three runs of the Crusaders.
Southern Wesleyan continued to chip away at the North Greenville lead. Dawson Gilstrap led off with single up the middle and then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Blayze Haddock. Jackson Mix doubled to right center, allowing Gilstrap to advance to third in the process. With Gilstrap ninety feet from home plate, Josh Long hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring Gilstrap in to score and put the Warriors down 7-5.
The Crusaders struck once more in the bottom of the fourth inning as Faile homered over the right center field wall to extend their lead to 9-5.
The Warriors maintained the pressure in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jackson Mix walked. With one out and Mix on first, Chance Fogel drilled the ball to left field for a triple to bring Mix in to score. Clifton Olmstead then hit a home run over the left field fence to put the Warriors back within two runs of the Crusaders.
North Greenville would not relent as they scored more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 15-8 run lead.
Southern Wesleyan continued to chip into North Greenville's lead. With one out, Jackson Mix reached first on a throwing error and then advanced to second on a walk to Josh Long. Chance Fogel then singled up the middle to bring Mix in to score.
The Crusaders pushed on with runs in the eighth. However, the Warriors countered in the top of the ninth inning. Blayze Haddock struck out swinging, but reached first on a wild pitch. With Juan Garcia pinch running, a wild pitch allowed Garcia to advance to second base. Back-to-back walks to Jackson Mix and Josh Long loaded up the bases. Jonny Middlebrooks then walked to bring in the tenth run for the Warriors. Luke Staton ground into a double played that took Middlebrooks off the bases, but allowed Long to advance to third and brought Mix across home plate. TJ Highsmith drilled the ball down the right field line for a double that brought Long in to score and put the Warriors back within seven runs of the Crusaders.
Despite the late rally, the Crusaders went on to win the final game of the series in a 19-12 final score.
