MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Joshua Chepkesir and Valary Samoei each set school records in the 3000-meter Run to highlight action for the UNC Pembroke track & field teams on the final day of competition at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational at the Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium.

Chepkesir cruised to a first-place finish in the 3000-meter Run with a time of 8:33.57 to establish a school record. Delsin Burkhart also captured an event title in the Mile Run with a personal-best time of 4:21.03. Cedric Douglas registered a 14th-place finish in the Discus Throw, while Bennie Oxendine’s toss of 13.72-meters in Shot Put was good enough for 15th place.

On the women’s side, Samoei broke a 20-year-old school record in the 3000-meter Run with a personal-best time of 10:50.51 on the way to a seventh-place finish. Alycia Artman finished in ninth place of the Shot Put with a personal-best throw of 11.76-meters, while Julia Van Dine placed 11th in the 800-meter Run.

The Braves will be back in action on Thursday for the Raleigh Relays. The three-day meet will take place at the Paul Derr Track in Raleigh.

Big innings glaring as Braves baseball splits with Southern Wesleyan

Big innings from both sides of the diamond proved to be advantageous on Saturday afternoon as the 16th-ranked UNC Pembroke baseball team split a series-opening doubleheader at Southern Wesleyan. The Warriors used a seven-run third inning to fuel a 17-15 win in the opener, while the Braves tacked up 13 runs in the fourth inning of the nightcap to key a 19-3 triumph.

The opening-game setback snapped a six-game win streak for the Braves (20-5, 9-2 CC), but the Black & Gold managed to register its seventh road win of the season with the game-two result. Southern Wesleyan (11-14, 6-5) is now 9-4 in home games this season with Saturday’s outcomes.

Trent Harris (4-1) saddled his first loss of the season after allowing five hits and six earned runs in 2-2/3 innings of work in the opener. Branden Kunz (4-1) registered his fourth win from the hill this season with five innings of work in the nightcap in which he surrendered three earned runs and struck out a trio of Warriors.

In the first game, down 2-1 after the top half of the third, Southern Wesleyan took the lead for good with seven runs in the home half of the frame, including a pair of unearned scores. The Warriors tallied just four hits in the frame, but also drew three walks to aid the scoring outburst as well. Cam Mitchem drove in a pair of runs for the hosts in the inning via a double to centerfield.

Christian Jayne had three hits, with a double and a triple, and two RBIs for UNCP in game one, Spencer Faulkner had three hits, including a homer, with four RBIs, Kody O’Connor had two hits, including a homer, with two RBIs, and Joey Rezek had three hits with two doubles and three runs.

Mitchem was 4-for-4 for Southern Wesleyan with a double, two homers and seven RBIs. Marcerio Allen had three hits with an RBI, Jackson Mix had one hit with two walks, a triple and an RBI, and Travis Hammond drew three walks and scored three runs. Mikah Gustavson (1-1) was the winning pitcher.

In the fourth inning of game two, Carlos Amezquita (double) and Christian Jayne (single) drove in runs on consecutive two-out hits to give the Braves a 4-2 lead, but a costly error by the SWU infield two batters later opened the flood gates for nine unearned runs that all but put the game on ice for the visitors. Will Hood (single) and Joey Rezek (double) followed with consecutive two-run hits, while Amezquita and Jayne both cashed in again later in the inning on consecutive two-run singles.

Jayne finished 4-for-5 with a double and five RBIs, Amezquita had three hits with a double and a triple and five RBIs, Hood had three hits and a walk with four RBIs, and Michael Kocen had a double, two walks and three runs.

SWU’s Patrick Walker had two hits with a double and an RBI, Mix had two hits, Dawson Gilstrap had two hits with a walk and Chance Fogel had a triple with an RBI. Cord Babcock (2-6) was the losing pitcher.

The Braves and Warriors will tangle in the rubber match of the weekend series on Sunday afternoon at Dr. Keith Connor Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.

UNCP softball rallies, splits series with Belmont Abbey

The UNC Pembroke softball team used dominant pitching and timely hitting on the way to a split of the doubleheader with Belmont Abbey on Saturday at the UNCP Softball Field. Belmont Abbey used a big fourth inning and a pair of insurance runs in the seventh innings to take the opening contest 6-4. However, the Braves rallied from an 11-0 deficit in the back half of the doubleheader fueled by 21 hits and a seven-run fifth inning to capture the second game 15-14 in eight innings.

UNCP registered eight doubles across the two games, six of which were in game two of the series. For the second consecutive outing, Madison Dyson went the distance with a complete game in the opener and struck out nine batters; she earned the decision in both games (4-9).

After Saturday’s series split, the Braves (10-17, 3-1 CC) improve to 5-1 when playing at home against Belmont Abbey. The Crusaders (7-13, 2-2 CC) fall to 4-10 when playing on the road this season.

In the doubleheader opener, Belmont Abbey put runners on first and second in the second inning after a leadoff double from Mackenzie Sprinkle, followed by a single from Mackenzie Allison. Hallie Mele drove in a pair of runs with a double down the left field line, and an ill-timed fielding error plated another Crusader. BAC took a 4-0 lead after another run crossed the plate on a passed ball.

In the sixth, UNCP’s Samantha Allred sparked the offense with a single to the outfield grass, and scored on a double to center field from Emily Rose. Olivia Hall followed with a double to the right field gap to score Rose and knot the score at 4-4.

The Crusaders’ Bailey Presley singled to center field in the seventh and scored on a double from Sydney Pon. Pon would score after throwing error by the Braves to put the Crusaders back out in front 6-4.

Allred and Rose each had two hits with an RBI in the opener for UNCP and Hall had a double and an RBI.

Allison was 3-for-3 for Belmont Abbey, Mele had a double and two RBIs and Pon had a double and an RBI.

In the nightcap, Belmont Abbey loaded the bases in the third inning after an infield single, a fielding error and a fielder’s choice. An Allison single stay just in fair territory to score two runs. The Crusaders scored seven runs on five hits to take an 11-0 lead.

Kadence Sheppard singled up the middle for UNCP in the sixth inning and scored off of a double from Cirsten Calloway. With runners on first and third after a single from Allred, MaKenna Sibbett’s sacrifice fly to center field scored Calloway to knot the score at 14-14.

In the eighth, with the International Tiebreaker Rule in play, Calloway started the inning at second base, but quickly advanced to third after a leadoff single to the left side from Allred. UNCP loaded the bases with a four-pitch walk from Sibbett, but a wild pitch from the Crusaders allowed Calloway to score the winning run.

Allred finished 4-for-5 in game two with a home run and four RBIs for UNCP, Sibbett had two hits with a double and five RBIs, Marijo Wilkes had three hits with a double and an RBI and Sheppard had three hits with a double and two RBIs.

Mele had two hits for the Crusaders with a home run and four RBIs, Allison had two hits with a double and two RBIs and Bailey Presley had two hits with two RBIs. Alannah Brown (1-2) had the decision in the circle in both games.

The Braves will step out of Conference Carolinas play and begin an eight-game road trip on Tuesday when they trek to Gaffney, S.C. to face Limestone (15-13). First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m. at Babe Ruth Field.