PEMBROKE — UNC Pembroke scored one in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game, and walked it off on Ashton Donathan’s sac fly in the 10th to take Game 1 of the series 6-5 over the 23rd-ranked Barton Bulldogs in Conference Carolinas action Friday night at Sammy Cox Field.
The Braves got an excellent relief outing from Chase Jernigan, who kept the Bulldogs at bay to allow the Braves offense to mount the late comeback.
The Braves (27-9, 11-8 CC) improved to 19-3 when playing at home this season, while snapping Barton’s (28-8, 11-8 CC) four-game winning streak in the process.
UNCP’s Blake Hinson reached on a first-inning error and would come around to score on Joey Rezek’s double to put the Braves on the board first. Kody O’Connor would score Chase Hudson on an RBI ground out to give the Braves a 2-0 lead.
Barton’s Chase Waddell singled to lead off the fourth frame, and the Bulldogs would load the bases on a Jared Beebe walk and a John McNamee hit by pitch. Luis Sauri cleared the bases with a three-run double to tie the game at 3-3.
The Black & Gold retook the lead on a Will Hood RBI single in the fifth, scoring Hudson who walked and stole second.
An inning later, Beebe and Gavin Gilmore each drew 2-out walks, and Johnnie Lowery tied the game with a pinch-hit RBI single. Luis Sauri followed with an RBI single to make it 5-4 Bulldogs.
In the nint, Hudson worked a lead off walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, and advanced to third on a Barton error before Rezek also walked. Hood grounded into a double play, but scored Hudson to knot the game at 5-5.
Andrew Jenner got the bottom of the 10th started with a lead-off double and would move up 90 feet on Michael Dolberry II’s single. Ashton Donathan sent the Braves home winners with a walk-off sacrifice fly.
Hood, Rezek and Dolberry each had two hits for the Braves, with Hood earning two RBIs and Rezek one. Chase Jernigan (1-1) pitched the final four innings allowing one hit and no runs with four strikeouts.
Sauri had two hits and four RBIs for the Bulldogs, Chris Waddell had two hits and Beebe walked four times and scored twice. Ian Asken (2-1) took the loss.
The two squads will wrap up the series Saturday with a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
Fiorucci breaks own school record at VertKlasse Meet
After setting a new school record in the women’s pole vault in late March, freshman Carina Fiorucci established a new school-record mark during Friday’s action at the VertKlasse Meet hosted by High Point at Vert Stadium.
Fiorucci cleared 3.34 meters, breaking her short-lived record of 3.20 meters to take 11th place. The Sarasota, Florida native was the highest non-Division-I finisher in the event.
On the men’s side, Cole Thomas finished in a tie for sixth place, the second-highest non-Division-I finisher, with a height of 4.41 meters.
UNCP will be back in action Saturday as they host the Braves Classic at Dick & Lenore Taylor Track.
Braves distance runners compete at Colonial Relays
Norman Junker took nearly 45 seconds off his personal best in the 10,000 meters to finish 10th to highlight action Friday at the Colonial Relays hosted by William & Mary.
Junker crossed in a time of 31:06.96 to come home with a top-ten finish in the Division-I-heavy event.
Malea Bennewitz placed sixth in the unseeded 5000-meter run, with Leticia Pena establishing a new personal best and finishing eighth in the same event to highlight action on the women’s side.
