ROME- The Shorter Hawks entered their final home series of conference play and showed out offensively against Chowan with an 18-13 final on Friday. The win improves the Hawks to 13-22 and 5-20 in conference action.
Chowan started hot with a leadoff double, followed by a single that extended all the way to third on an error to start game one up two runs. A single, sac-fly, and a pair of double-steals then allowed Chowan to jump ahead 5-0 in the first. The score would remain as such until Drake Cobb opened the floodgates for the Hawks' offense with a solo homer in the second, followed by a bases-clearing double from Griffin Rowe that drove in Brooks McKenna, Reece Newberry, and Isaiah Sims. Griffin Tamucci then followed that up with an RBI double of his own to wave around Griffin Rowe, making the score five-all.
Chowan answered in the third with a solo home run to right, reclaiming the lead. The Hawks quickly responded in the bottom half, as Brooks McKenna drove in Micah Shipman on an RBI single to even the score once again.The visitors struck again in the fourth, using a double and a pair of singles to plate five runs and take an 11-6 advantage. Both offenses fell quiet through the remainder of the fourth and into the fifth, until the Hawks ignited a rally in the bottom half. Trailing by five, Griffin Tamucci started the comeback with an RBI double down the right field line, scoring Barron. Drake Cobb followed with a shot off the left-field wall to bring home Rowe. With the bases loaded, Micah Shipman drew a walk to make it 11-9. Still threatening, Isaiah Sims delivered a clutch single to left, driving in Cobb and Wilmer Henriquez to tie the game at 11-all. After plating five runs in the inning, the Hawks weren't finished. Freshman Reece Newberry stepped in and launched a towering home run to left, his second of the season, flipping the momentum and giving Shorter a 14-11 lead.
Chowan battled back in the seventh, however, as a sac-fly and a Shorter error brought the game within one. With the game just within reach, Michael Barron decided to push it back just a bit further by opening up the bottom of the seventh with his sixth longball of the season. In the eighth, Barron put yet another run on the board by walking with the bases loaded. With the bases juiced, Griffin Tamucci stroked one down the line to send in Brooks McKenna and Reece Newberry, giving the Hawks a five-run lead of their own. With Chowan down to their final three outs, Colby Schachtner stepped on the mound for his second inning of work and delivered the final blow with a backwards K to secure the final out, granting Shorter the 18-13 victory. Evan Joiner picked up his first win of the season after putting up some zeroes in two and two-thirds innings, with Colby Schachtner collecting his third save of the year.
"A win is always better than a loss!" said Head Coach Wes Timmons. "We're getting a little healthier, and it showed with what we were able to do offensively. We have to be more consistent on the mound. That still seems to be the current struggle. Tomorrow is a new day, and the guys who didn't throw today will get their chance tomorrow. Logan Bryson will get the start in the morning, and hopefully, he can continue to throw well. LB has been really good the last couple times out, and we need him to continue to be that for us".
UP NEXT
Logan Bryson starts game two after going seven innings with nine strikeouts and zero walks against Erskine last weekend. Game three's starter is still to be determined. The Hawks aim to secure the series win, or even pull off a sweep, with game two starting at 12:00 p.m. EST and game three at 3:00 p.m. EST. All games will be streamed live on the Conference Carolinas Digital Network.
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