Brevard, N.C. – The Brevard College men’s baseball team used a two-run ninth inning to score a 5-4 come from behind victory over the visiting Ohio Valley University Fighting Scots on Wednesday afternoon.

 

In the first six innings of play, the Tornados bats were silent as BC managed only one hit during and no runs during that time-span.

 

Ohio Valley jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, pushing across two runs in the top of the second inning. OVU catcher Jake Kight had an RBI single in the inning, which was followed by a Tyler Hardcastle single which plated another Fighting Scot runner.

 

In the top of the sixth, Ohio Valley increased their lead to three, as designated hitter Jesse Young led off the inning with a triple to centerfield. First-baseman John Ortiz drove Young in from third on a sacrifice fly centerfield, putting the Fighting Scots up 3-0 over the Tornados.

 

BC fought back in the bottom of the seventh, as first-baseman Justin Frady doubled down the leftfield line to score Mike Jones from second. Fellow senior Seth Corliss than hit a chopper to third, where the third-baseman camp up throwing wildly to first, sending the ball into right field. Frady would score all the way from second on the play, while Corliss advanced to third on the throwing error.

 

Sophomore catcher Josh Miller than hit a shot to second, where the OVU second baseman had trouble handling the ball, which allowed Miller to reach base safely and Corliss to score from third and knot the game up at 3-3.

 

After OVU scored the go ahead run in the top of the ninth on an RBI double by Kight, the Tornados answered back with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to come away with the 5-4 win.

 

In the bottom of the ninth, Brice Warner led off with a walk, which was followed by a Frady single to centerfield, putting runners on first and third with no outs. Corliss then drew a walk to load the bases with no outs for Miller. 

 

With Miller at the plate, OVU reliever Nick Oelker tried to pick off pinch runner Zac Williams on second base, throwing the ball into centerfield and allowing Warner to score from third and tie the game up at 4-4. Williams was able to advance to third on the play due to interference by the OVU shortstop.

 

After fouling off a number of pitches, Miller flied out to shallow right field to make one out in the inning.

 

After Corliss stole second and a walk to right-fielder Chris White, shortstop Mitch Hefner sent a line-drive deep to leftfield over the OVU fielders head to plate Williams from third and give BC the 5-4 win.

 

Junior right-handed pitcher Matt Castro (2-1) picked up the win in relief, allowing one run on one hit in the ninth inning.

 

The loss went to OVU’s Oelker (0-1), as he allowed five runs, two earned, on four hits and five walks in 3.1 innings of relief.

 

BC starter Ryan Toney got the no-decision, as he went 8.0 innings allowing three runs on four hits while striking out eight on the day.

 

At the plate, Frady was 2-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, while Hefner was 2-5 with the game winning RBI single.

 

The Tornados (6-12) will return to the diamond this weekend, as they will host #24 ranked Catawba in a three-game series. The two teams will play a double-header on Saturday afternoon, with game one starting at 12 noon at Gil Coan Field.

 

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