Central, SC – Home runs by Cam Mitchem, Gage Shaver and Marty Grisso powered the Warriors past the Chowan Hawks in an 11-6 final to allow Southern Wesleyan to take the series. Mitchem's second home run of the afternoon allowed him to break the school record of home runs in a career as he picked up his 27th career home run.
The Warriors' totaled 16 hits in the final game of the series with Marty Grisso, Gage Shaver and Nolan Evatt each picking up three hits. Cam Mitchem hit two home runs and both Grisso and Shaver had one home run in the game. Grisso went on to pick up two doubles. Mitchem led the team with four RBIs. Southern Wesleyan walked three times and Zachary Kim stole a base.
Lukas Arvantides started the final game of the series for the Warriors. Arvantides pitched five innings while striking out five batters. Gehrig Schreiber and Garrett Swink came in to pitch in relief. Schreiber struck out two batters during his three innings pitched and Swink struck out three in the final inning of the game.
Game Vitals
Final: Southern Wesleyan 11, Chowan 6
Records: Southern Wesleyan (4-18 / CC 4-8) Chowan (2-14 / CC 1-8)
How It Happened
Southern Wesleyan attacked quickly in the final game of the series. With one out, Marty Grisso sent the ball to right field for a double. Cam Mitchem was hit by a pitch to put two runners on and bring Griffin Pickhardt up to bat. Pickhardt hit a single down the left field line to bring Grisso in to score.
Chowan answered in the top of the second inning as Hudson grounded out to bring Dunlap in to score.
The Warriors pressed on in the bottom of the inning. Nolan Evatt led off by hitting a single to left center field and then was able to advance all the way to third on an error by the Hawks' left fielder. A single by Josh Long allowed Evatt to come in to score. Jack Dennison walked, however Marty Grisso grounded into a double play that took Long off the bases. Gage Shaver came up to bat and hit the ball to deep center field. The Hawks center fielder went up to collect the ball hit by Shaver, but the ball bounced off his glove and out of the park to give Shaver his first home run of the season. With the bases empty, Cam Mitchem came up to bat and hit the ball over the center field wall for a solo shot to give the Warriors a 5-1 run advantage over the Hawks.
A triple by Bellamy brought Rector in to score to put the Hawks back within three runs of the Warriors in the top of the third inning.
Chowan continued to challenge Southern Wesleyan's defense as an error by the Warriors' second baseman allowed Rumaldo to come in to score.
The Hawks brought their fourth run in to score in the top of the fifth inning as Bellamy hit a single to left center field to allow Santana to cross home plate.
Southern Wesleyan regained a two run advantage in the bottom of the fifth inning. With two outs, Zachary Kim hit a single through the left side and then stole second base. A wild pitch allowed Kim to advance to third base. With Kim ninety feet from home plate, Nolan Evatt hit a single through the right side of the infield to bring Kim in to score.
The Warriors pressed on in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Marty Grisso hit a double down the left field line and then advanced to third base on a passed ball. Gage Shaver followed by reaching first after being hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners and bring Cam Mitchem up to bat. Mitchem sent the ball 390 feet over the center field wall for his second home run of the afternoon to not only give the Warriors a 9-4 run lead, but break the school record of home runs in a career as he picked up his 27th career home run.
In the top of the eighth inning, back-to-back doubles by Bailey and Hudson allowed the Hawks to bring two more runs in to score.
Marty Grisso led off the bottom of the eighth inning for the Warriors by sending the first pitch he saw over the left field wall to extend Southern Wesleyan's lead to 10-6. Gage Shaver laid down a bunt single and then advanced to second as Cam Mitchem walked. With one out, Niko Laing came up to bat and singled up the middle to bring Shaver in to score and give the Warriors an 11-6 run victory over the Hawks.
What's Next
Southern Wesleyan will travel to Hickory, NC on March 11 to take on the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears. They will return to Central, SC on March 14-15 as they host the Erskine Flying Fleet. The Warriors will host the Young Harris Mountain Lions in non-conference action on March 19 at 5pm.
