MARION, N.C.— The Montreat baseball team closed out its home slate for the 2022 regular season on Friday afternoon, and it did so with fireworks. The Cavaliers defeated Fisher College in game one, 5-1, before taking game two over the reigning NAIA national champions, the No. 11-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College Grizzlies, 4-3. With the wins, the Cavs improved to 28-21, their winningest season since 2009.
Fisher (21-21) jumped in front of the Cavaliers in the first after a leadoff walk and an RBI double down the right field line; however, that would be all the Falcons could muster against
Daniel Willie on Friday afternoon.
Willie was sharp on the mound, throwing seven innings for his fifth complete game of the season. The Ooltewah, Tenn. native surrendered just a single run on four hits while striking out seven Falcons. In the seventh, Willie struck out the final two batters of the ballgame, giving him 101 punchouts on the season, second-most in the NAIA.
Montreat turned the tide of game one with two two-run blasts. In the third,
Rafael Padilla rifled a shot to left center, scoring
Norman Kelly to put the Cavaliers ahead by a run. Then, in the fifth, Kelly launched a two-run jack that plated
Ryan Pereda and handed Montreat a 4-1 lead through five.
The Cavaliers tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a
Chase Bruno sacrifice fly, bringing the score to its 5-1 final in favor of Montreat.
Padilla (3-3) tallied half of Montreat's six hits in the win, with
Tarik Latchmansingh,
Jeff Cardazzone and Kelly each registering one base knock.
Montreat battled against No. 11 Georgia Gwinnett in the second game of the afternoon, with the Grizzlies also striking first in the game's initial frame. Two doubles in the inning, including a two-out RBI ground-rule double to right center, put GGC in the driver's seat for a half-inning.
The Cavaliers didn't take long to find an answer to Georgia Gwinnett's opening tally. In the bottom half of the first,
Daniel Wetmore followed up a Padilla double with the squad's third two-run bomb of the afternoon. Wetmore demolished a baseball to left field, banging it off the scoreboard as the Cavs took the pole position through one, 2-1.
Noah Christopher, with the help of his defense, pitched five frames against the nation's No. 11 team. The Cavaliers turned three double plays behind Christopher as he allowed just two runs while striking out one batter.
Georgia Gwinnett (29-11) utilized another double to score a run, this time to left center, in the top of the fourth to tie the contest at two; however, despite losing the lead, the Cavaliers weren't deterred.
Just an inning later, Padilla belted his second and Montreat's fourth two-run homer of the afternoon, swinging momentum back in Montreat's favor. Leading 4-2 through five, the Cavs just needed to limit GGC to a run or less to close out a doubleheader sweep.
The Cavaliers turned to
Jared Drayton to finish out the day. The Pittsburg, Calif. native delivered, allowing just a single run on a solo shot to right center in the seventh inning. Drayton recorded six outs across the final two innings, earning the save as he slammed the door shut on the reigning national champions, 4-3.
Padilla (2-3) and Cardazzone (2-2) recorded multi-hit efforts in the win, while Wetmore, Latchmansingh, Bruno and Michaell Bell all registered one hit.
The Montreat baseball team returns to conference play on Friday for its next action against No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan University. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Athens, Tenn.
