Pioneers Complete Sweep At Pitt

Greenville, NC – On Sunday, the No. 16 Pioneers used strong pitching, solid defense, and timely hitting to take two more games from No. 6 Pitt CC, completing a four-game sweep on the road.

SMC, winners of 14 straight, improved to 23-5 overall, 8-0 in Region X, while Pitt dropped to 18-5, 4-4.

In game three of the series, starter Ryan Gunther (Stratford HS) combined with relievers Ronnie Kleinbach (Batavia, NY HS) and Corey Rhoney (East Burke, NC HS) to frustrate the Bulldog batters in a 2-0 shutout win.

Gunther worked out of trouble early, as a leadoff single, sacrifice and a groundout in the first inning put a Pitt runner on third with two outs. But Gunther induced an inning-ending pop up to second to end the scoring threat.

One inning later, Gunther was forced to work out of another jam. Pitt reached base again with no outs, this time on an infield single to third, and following a groundout and a strikeout, a walk put runners at first and second with two outs. The next Bulldog batter flared a soft line drive to right center that looked like it may drop in, but Michael Keels (Manning HS) saved a run with a diving catch to end the frame at 0-0.

Still locked in a scoreless pitcher's duel through six innings, SMC found a way to win in the seventh. Tyler Jackson (Robert E. Lee Academy) drilled a base hit to left-center with one out, and Luke Tollison (Laurens Academy) followed that up with another sharply hit single to center. Ben Boykin (Fort Mill HS) drew a walk to load the bases, and Dacen Cash (Stephens Co., GA HS) was hit by a pitch, scoring the first run of the game. Pitt went to their bullpen, but the Bulldog reliever hit the first batter he faced, pinch hitter Cody Martin (Stephens Co., GA HS), to make it 2-0.

Consecutive strikeouts ended the SMC half inning, but that was all the run support the Pioneer pitching staff would need, as Rhoney pitched a scoreless seventh to close out the game.

Gunther struck out four in five strong innings, scattering four hits and one walk in a hard-luck no-decision. Kleinbach got a big strikeout in the sixth, and Rhoney picked up the win with four strikeouts in the final 1.2 innings.

In the final game, SMC extended their winning streak behind another strong pitching outing, and the Pioneer bats got going with ten hits in a 5-1 win.

Greg Harrison (Hilton Head HS) gave the Pioneers yet another quality start, surrendering the only Bulldog run of the day in the second inning on a pair of walks and a sacrifice fly, as centerfielder Travis Burnside (Laurens HS) made a spectacular diving catch of a sinking line drive in the gap to limit the damage.

Trailing 1-0 going into the fourth, SMC answered with a pair of runs. Burnside walked with one out and scored from first when Tollison drove a two-out double off the wall in center field to tie it. Boykin broke the tie another two-out RBI double to left-center, giving the Pioneers a 2-1 lead.

The SMC bullpen was lights-out in relief of Harrison, as Josh Wilson (Strom Thurmond HS), Kleinbach, and Jared Keels (Spring Valley HS) did not allow a baserunner in three perfect innings.

The Pioneers added three insurance runs in the seventh, when Reggie Weatherford (Lake City HS) and Cash hit consecutive singles to begin the inning. Burnside's sacrifice put runners and second and third with one out, setting the stage for Jackson, who singled through a drawn-in infield to drive in two. Tollison ripped a base hit to left, and after a flyout, Michael Keels singled to center with two outs, plating Jackson to expand the lead to 5-1.           

Harrison picked up his first win of the spring with one earned run in four innings. He worked around three walks and a pair of hits, and struck out four. Jared Keels earned a four-out save, striking out one. Jackson, Tollison, and Boykin each had two hits to lead SMC's offensive attack, with Boykin collecting a pair of doubles.   

SMC (23-5, 8-0) will enjoy playing at home this week after being on the road for the last 11 games. The Pioneers host Catawba Valley CC in a doubleheader on Tuesday at 1 pm, before matching up with Florence-Darlington Tech in a Region X series this weekend at SMC.    

Spartanburg Methodist College has 14 intercollegiate teams that compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association, which includes colleges in the Carolinas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The College is in its 100th academic year of providing a quality education to students in a Christian environment. More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning.
 
For more information please contact athletic director Mark Perdue at (864) 587-4237.