SMC Baseball Takes Two from Carolina

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Spartanburg Methodist College baseball team swept a doubleheader against Carolina University on Saturday afternoon, winning 7-1 and 4-3.

The Pioneers, who have won five of their last six games, picked up a pair of seven-inning victories. In game one, SMC starter Travis Dannecker went the distance, earning a complete-game victory and improving his record to 4-1. Dannecker allowed seven hits and struck out three in the win.

Offensively, Thatcher Baughman had one of the best games of his young career, going 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Teammate Elijah Franz contributed a 2-for-2 performance with two runs scored and two RBIs to lead the offense.

Franz delivered a two-RBI double in the fourth inning, putting SMC ahead 4-1. Baughman followed with an RBI single, extending the lead to 5-1. Franz later scored on a wild pitch in the seventh.

In the nightcap, SMC withstood a late rally by the Bruins. Blake Exizian pitched six strong innings, allowing just four hits to improve his record to 4-0. Carson Matthews came in for the seventh inning, securing his fourth save. Matt Smith and Jarian Pinckney each had two hits, while Baughman scored twice in the win.

An RBI single by Smith drove in Baughman for what proved to be the game-winning run. In the bottom of the seventh, Carolina scored a run without recording a hit, capitalizing on a pair of SMC errors. With the tying run at first, Matthews induced a groundout to preserve the victory.

Next, SMC will travel to Bryan for a non-conference game on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Dayton, Tennessee, before returning home for a stretch of five consecutive home games.