BREVARD, N.C. - Senior shortstop Jason Jucker hustled out an infield single with the bases loaded to push the Brevard College baseball team (6-1) to an 8-7 victory over Washington and Lee (3-2) on Sunday afternoon at Gil Coan Field.
Jucker beat out an infield single to score Joc Pledger, lifting the Tornados to a 6-1 start. That start is BC's best in its NCAA-era history.
Blake Burchett led all Tornados with a 3-for-6 performance with an RBI and a run scored, while Logan Clark had a team-high three RBI. Jucker and freshman infielder Luke Morton had two RBI each, while Zach Allison drew four walks and scored two runs.
Matthew Scavotto got the ball to start for the Tornados in game two of the three-game non-conference series, tossing five innings of two-hit ball without allowing a single run. The senior lefty from Charlotte, North Carolina has allowed just one earned run in his first 17 innings of work, and has an ERA of 0.53 over that span. Bryce Bowers (1-0) earned the second win of his career, coming on in the ninth inning as the pitcher of record.
BC claimed the victory despite 16 hits from the visiting Generals, who were led by Jaden Keuhner and Mitchell Salvino, who totaled three hits apiece.
WLU totaled a double and a walk in the top of the first, but were sat down after a flyout. Burchett was able to reach on a one out single in the bottom half of the inning, but a pickoff play wiped him off the base paths.
Both sides went down quietly in the second inning before Brevard pounced for a five-run third frame, chasing Washington and Lee's starter. Blake Burchett drove home his cousin, Brett Burchett on a fielder's choice to get the scoring going before a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch made it 2-0 in favor of the Tornados. Clark came through with a two-RBI single that was followed by a bases-loaded walk, making it a 5-0 affair.
Scavotto worked out of a runners on second and third with one out jam in the top of the fourth inning with a strikeout and a groundout. Morton tacked on an important run for Brevard with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the fifth, making it a 6-0 contest.
After Scavotto was relieved, the Generals were able to plate two runs in each of the next three innings, tying the score at 6-6 midway through the eighth.
Brevard was able to manufacture a go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth with a walk and a bunt single kicking things off. A wild pitch put Allison and Blake Burchett in scoring position, and Clark delivered with a sacrifice fly that gave the Tornados the lead back, 7-6.
Bowers and Brevard found themselves in a bases-loaded, no out situation in the top of the ninth inning. A deep sacrifice fly to left field tied the game, 7-7, but heads-up fielding from Clark caught a General runner advancing to third base to put Brevard's offense one out away from stepping back up to the plate. Bowers forced a fly out to right field that ended the frame.
Pinch hitter Ryan Leiman drew a leadoff walk and was pinch run for by Pledger. Pinch hitter Peter Fumero got Pledger to second with a sacrifice bunt. After a wild pitch put Pledger on third base, pinch hitter Parker Crews and Allison were both intentionally walked, loading the bases up. Blake Burchett was sat down looking, bringing Jucker up to the plate. The senior captain stepped up in a big way, hitting a grounder that forced the General shortstop to range to his left, and the senior beat it out at first base to give BC another one-run victory.
The Tornados will go for the series sweep on Monday at 12 p.m. in an adjusted start time to beat out potential inclement weather.
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-BC-
