08 Mar 2023 CBC sweeps Philander Smith
NORTH LITTLE ROCK – Playing for the first time ever, Central Baptist College baseball hosted the Panthers of Philander Smith College this afternoon in a doubleheader at Burns Park. CBC (7-10) took both games of the doubleheader; the first game being played on a different field than the second game.
GAME ONE – CBC 5, PHILANDER SMITH 2 (SEVEN INNINGS)
CBC scratched across five runs on two hits in the first game. The Mustangs put up a pair of runs in the first inning, the first run scoring on a throwing error by the PSC catcher and the second on a groundout by Jaxon Kirkhuff. The Mustangs extended the lead to 3-0 in the second when Steven Stewart was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, his 67th career hit by pitch to extend his own program record. PSC would chip away in the fourth and the sixth, cutting the lead down to 3-2 before an odd sacrifice fly by A.J. Serrano scored a pair of runs in the sixth and made it 5-2. Christian Zincke started and earned his first win in a Mustang uniform, throwing four innings and allowing just two hits and a run with three walks and three Ks. Fred Marsh relieved Zincke and allowed a run on two hits with a strikeout in two innings and Jackson Pope nailed down his third save in the seventh, throwing a perfect inning while striking out one.
GAME TWO – CBC 12, PSC 3
PSC jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first but CBC answered right back as Gabe Walker tied the game with his third home run of the season. The game would stay tied at two until the fifth when PSC took a 3-2 lead, but CBC responded again, this time on an error to take a 4-3 lead. CBC would blow the game open in the sixth, scoring nine runs in the inning. Austin Teal singled with one out and Josh Nowotny pinch hit. Teal would steal second and then move to third on an error before scoring the go ahead run on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Nowotny to make it 5-3. Four batters later, with the bases loaded, Stewart would double down the right field line to clear the bases, and then would score on the same play on another error to make it 9-3. CBC would load the bases again and the Mustangs would extend the lead to 11-3 on another error, this time off the bat of Cameron Harden before Ruben Hernandez walked with the bases loaded to finish the scoring. Caleb Sollars started and did not factor in the decision, allowing three hits and two runs with a walk and four strikeouts in four innings. Austin LeJeune picked up the win in relief, allowing one unearned run on two hits with a walk and two Ks in two innings and Julio Escobar finished the game with a 1-2-3 seventh, anchored by a pair of strikeouts.
UP NEXT
CBC is back at home this weekend for four games with Ecclesia. Friday’s doubleheader at Burns Park begins at noon.
