SALEM, Va. - The #31 NC Wesleyan College baseball team put their offense together as they held on for a 11-7 game one victory over non-conference foe Roanoke College in Salem, Va on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, their pitching gave way in game two as the Bishops fell 20-4 to Roanoke. The games were played at the Low-A Minors Salem Red Sox Park in Virginia. 

The top of the lineup again keyed the offensive attack as junior CF Drifton Padgett and junior 2B Davie Morgan combined for 5 hits and 4 runs scored while sophomore 3B Jackson Hobbs also knocked a two-run home run. Morgan led the team with three hits, a double, a stolen base and an RBI single while Padgett was 2 for 4 in the leadoff spot with a team-best two stolen bases.

Senior 1B Emry Jackson also hit a bases-clearing double in the 7th to give the Bishops a 9-4 lead as he finished with 4 RBIs. Sophomore RF Tristan Griffin also tallied a two-run single on the afternoon with his hit coming in the 6th inning that gave Wesleyan the 6-2 lead at the time. Sophomore shortstop Tyson Bass also scored three runs on the day while recording a hit, walk, and stolen base.

On the mound, senior Derrick Carter got the win improving to 2-0 as he threw 5 and 2/3 innings allowing 3 earned runs on 7 hits and 4 walks while striking out six. Junior reliever Chandler Padgett also finished the game tossing two scoreless innings allowing just one hit and striking out three as he has yet to allow a run this season. Carter now has a 2.78 ERA on the season with 20 Ks.

Wesleyan improved to 6-4 with the win and next battled Roanoke (3-4) in game two later Saturday.

In game two on Saturday evening, sophomore starter Danny Thompson walked a few batters and got in some trouble in the first as the Maroons would run out to a quick 4-0 lead. The Bishops would battle back early on scoring three runs in the third on a two-run single from Bass and a sacrifice fly from sophomore DH Zach Scott.

Roanoke would add a solo homer in the 5th before the Bishops came back again with a run in the 6th on a Zach Lyon RBI single. Thompson would throw 6 innings allolwing 4 earned runs on 4 hits and 4 walks with 5 strikeouts.

However, the Bishop bullpen would then falter and allow 14 runs over the next two innings. Reliever Payne Stolsworth allowed 6 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks in 2/3 of an inning while freshman Hunter Hopkins allowed 7 runs on 6 hits in the 7th. Junior reliever Alex Crosby then came on in the 8th and allowed one run on 2 hits and 2 walks.

Lyon and Bass led the offense with multi-hit games while also hitting one double each. 

Wesleyan falls to 6-5 with the loss and will next finish their trip to Roanoke by battling Case Western Reserve University (OH) on Sunday beginning at 11:00 AM.