MARION, N.C.— The Montreat baseball team closed out its three-game series against the Bluefield University Rams on Saturday night, coming up just short in a pitchers' duel, 1-0. After the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) defeat in Marion, N.C., the Cavaliers now stand at 9-10 (1-5 AAC) on the season.
Daniel Willie, who has delivered his fair share of remarkable outings so far this season, was on the top of his game for seven consecutive innings against the Rams. Bluefield entered the night batting .368 as a team while scoring 12.0 runs per game. Despite the season-long success at the plate, the Rams' hitters were no match for Willie's early dominance.
Willie retired the first 21 batters he faced in order, throwing seven perfect innings for the Cavaliers while recording eight strikeouts.
The Cavaliers also faced a pitcher on the top of his game. Montreat earned its way onto the base paths on a few occasions, recording a single in the first (
Chase Bruno) and third innings (
Michael Bell) and a walk in the fourth (
Rafael Padilla) and fifth innings (
Norman Kelly); however, it wasn't until the sixth inning in which the Cavs placed several runners on base in the same inning.
Montreat had its best chance to break the game's deadlock in the bottom half of the seventh inning. Kelly roped a leadoff single into center field, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then moved safely to third base on an
OJ Borroto sacrifice bunt. After Bell was hit by a pitch and
Elijah Baptist walked, the Cavs had the bases juiced with only one out. Unfortunately for Montreat, the Cavaliers went 1-for-11 with runners on base over nine innings, and the bags were left loaded.
Bluefield (13-0, 7-0 AAC) couldn't touch Willie through seven innings, but two walks and an RBI double to start the eighth inning gave the Rams all the offense they would need.
Willie limited the damage to just those three batters in the eighth inning, retiring every other hitter on the night; however, the Montreat offense couldn't muster a string of hits in the final two innings, and the Cavaliers came up short in the series finale, 1-0.
Bruno (2-4) tallied two of the Cavaliers' four hits on Saturday night, while Kelly (1-3) singled and walked and Bell (1-2) singled and was hit by a pitch. Willie threw his fourth complete game of the season in just five starts, with the last two complete games lasting nine innings. Three Rams reached base all night, with Willie allowing two walks and a double in the eighth inning. Willie racked up nine strikeouts in the tough-luck defeat and lowered his season ERA to 1.22.
The Montreat baseball team hits the road on Tuesday for a brief non-conference doubleheader at Emory & Henry College in Emory, Va. Game one's first pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
