NORTH CHARLESTON — Presbyterian College played Charleston Southern University three times in the lovely sport of baseball at the Buccaneers’ Nielsen Field.
The Blue Hose won all three: Friday in a blowout, Saturday in a comeback and Sunday by comeback resistance.
PC won the season’s first four games and lost the fourth. For the first time since, the Blue Hose are three games above .500 (25-22), riding four straight victories and six out of seven.
In the latest daily shuffle of the cards at the top of the Big South standings, Presbyterian (15-6) now leads High Point (13-5) by a half game. USC Upstate (14-7) is a game out.
Three slots in the Big South Championship Tournament, May 23-25 in High Point, N.C. are wrapped up. PC’s sweep of CSU leaves the Bucs clinging to a one-game edge over UNC Asheville for the final slot with three games to play.
In the measure of improvement category, Presbyterian plays Wofford at Elton Pollock Field on Tuesday at 6 p.m. When the two tangled in Spartanburg on April 16, the Terriers prevailed, 24-3, and began a four-game PC losing streak.
Presbyterian is 6-1 since.
Gardner-Webb defeated Wofford, 6-5, on Sunday.
Sloopy never hanged on like the Blue Hose on Sunday.
PC’s 8-7 victory over Charleston Southern (18-26, 9-9) was mini-games split by a rain delay. When the delay ensued, the Blue Hose led, 8-2. When play resumed, the Bucs led, 5-0.
It’s the net that matters.
Center fielder Joel Dragoo belted his 13th home run and posted his 17th multi-hit game. Left fielder Jay Wetherington and shortstop Brody Fahr were both 2/4. Wetherington doubled and, like Dragoo, drove in two runs.
Charleston Southern outhit the Hose, 11-8, but all the Bucs hit were singles. Designated shitter Cade Conway deserved the title. He was 4/5 and scored three times.
Dragoo’s bomb with Fahr, who had reached on a error, aboard put the Blue Hose ahead for good, though not without later discomfort. A third run scored on Ryan Becker’s sacrifice fly.
PC starter Fenix DiGiacomo (W, 3-4) gave up two hits and hit two Bucs batters, and CSU scored twice in the bottom of the first.
The Blue Hose promptly responded with a run in the second inning and four in the third. Wetherington’s double drove in two of them.
It was as if PC got wet during the delay and CSU didn’t.
The Bucs scored two in the fifth inning on RBI singles by B.J. Banyon and Hayden Henry. Then, in the eighth, Charleston Southern scored three more runs, two of them produced by groundouts and the last by Christian Bauman pinch single.
The top of the ninth was PC’s sixth straight scoreless inning.
Enter Sean Hollister to pitch the bottom of the ninth.
Henry popped up. Sam Low walked and made it to second base on a wild pitch. Pringle grounded to short. Urlaub struck out looking. Hollister notched his second save.
Seven pitchers took the mound for Presbyterian. Charleston Southern kept it to three. Sam Massey (1-4), who lasted just the first two innings, took the loss.
Take a look at the box here.
Blue, Green, Purple & Red cannot solely be funded by advertising. There’s not enough room. If you like the coverage, please donate whatever you consider appropriate via Venmo at DHK Sports. You may send a check, if you prefer, to DHK Sports, 11185 Hwy. 56N, Clinton, S.C. 29325.
If you choose, make a monthly donation via Patreon. The Laurens County site is here. The Furman site is here.
Support the advertisers. They are all fine people who appreciate my attempts to restore coverage of local sports.
In the off chance you’d like to read my novels and other books, they’re available on Amazon and many prominent bookseller sites.
Photo galleries are posted on Instagram @furmanatt and @laurenscountysports.
Thanks for your support.
Blue, Green, Purple & Red 