SMC Baseball collects sweep on opening weekend

SMC Baseball collects sweep on opening weekend

Saturday, February 1st

Game one--Sophomore  Dylan Rodgers (Union, SC) picked up the win in Saturday's opening game against Lenoir Community College.

Rodgers(1-0) worked four innings and Sophomore left hander Jared Felix (3 k's) was flawless in his three innings of relief and picked up the save. 

Thatcher Coleman went 2-for-2 for SMC and scored two runs while Brandon BurrisCollin Steagall, Tyler Lancaster, and Cody Smith all picked up an RBI in the 7-2 opening game win.

 

Game two-- Former JL Mann teammates Matt Riggs and Taylor Vetzel combined to shut out Lenoir CC in game two. Riggs (1-0) making his first collegiate start went five shutout innings giving up just five hits. He walked none and struck out three.

Vetzel nailed down the save by going two innings with the only Lenoir batter to reach doing so by error. Four of Vetzel's six outs came by strikeout.


The Pioneers got on the board in the bottom of the first after Burris led off with a single, stole second, and went to third on the errant throw, Lenoir's eighth error of the day. The Lancers finished with nine errors over the two contests.
Burris trotted home with the only run of the contest when White hit a roller to short for an RBI
Sunday, February 2nd
Game three-- Lenoir CC jumped out in front quickly and things did not look well for the Pioneers in the series finale trailing 6-1 after three innings. Things quickly changed, SMC (3-0) outscored the Lancers 22-1 over the final six innings to post a final score of 23-8. 
Red shirt freshman Sides and Steagall would lead the SMC offense as both cranked out five hits. Sides was 5-for-5 with a walk and four RBI while Steagall went 5-for-7 with three RBI and two runs scored. Jordan Garrett went 3-for-7 with two RBI and three runs scored.
While the Pioneers offense was exploding the pitching returned to form. Over the last six innings four Pioneer pitchers limited the Lancers to two runs.

Michael Wright (1-0) earned the win in relief by limiting the Lancers to two runs in his 3 2/3 innings of work. He allowed four hits, walked two and struck out one.

He was followed by CD Pelham who tossed a scoreless seventh, Cole Norwood was nicked for a run in the eighth, and Josh Escoffier closed out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth that included two strikeouts.
SMC will next host Surry Community College in a doubleheader at Mooneyham field on Saturday with the first pitch slated for 1 p.m.