BREVARD, N.C. - Behind a first-inning, three-run homer from Holden Lanier and Reid Ziomek's first career win in his first collegiate start, the Brevard College baseball team (3-15) earned a 5-1 victory over Emory & Henry College (5-9) on Wednesday afternoon at Gil Coan Field.
BC's win marked the first victory for the Tornados of 2020 within the confines of their home ballpark.
Reid Ziomek (1-0) pitched seven innings of six-hit, one-run baseball, shutting out the Wasps after the first inning. The freshman left-hander from Charlotte, North Carolina did not walk a single batter during his seven innings of work and struck out six batters over the course of his start.
Ziomek was backed up by strong relief efforts from Huntley Hacker and Matthew Scavotto. Both hurlers pitched an inning of scoreless work, with Scavotto recording a pair of strikeouts.
All the offense that the Tornados would need was provided in the bottom of the first inning off Lanier's bat, as the junior infielder from Lexington, North Carolina launched a three-run blast over the left-field wall to give BC a lead that it would not relinquish. Lanier finished the game 3-for-4 with a pair of singles to add to his home run.
JJ Wilkes went 2-for-4 at the dish, scoring a pair of runs and hitting a triple to center field. Ryan Roon went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI, while freshman Joc Pledger enjoyed a 2-for-3 day at the plate with a pair of singles. Zach Allison logged an RBI on a bases-loaded walk, while Matt Kelley scored a run on the same walk.
EHC's Cameron Mullins (1-1) pitched six innings, allowing four Tornado runs on eight hits, walking three batters while striking out seven. The Wasps' lone run came on a solo home run by Hayden Miley in the top of the first frame, as the Tornados shut down EHC the rest of the way.
Ziomek worked 1-2-3 innings in the second, fourth, and fifth frames while letting up just a single in the third inning. Roon was able to extend BC's advantage to a 4-1 margin in the bottom of the fifth by singling home Wilkes following the junior's one-out single.
Despite surrendering a one-out double in the top of the sixth inning, the freshman southpaw forced a Wasp strikeout and line out to preserve BC's three-run advantage.
After two quick outs in the top of the seventh frame, Emory & Henry put together a small rally with back-to-back singles and a wild pitch that put runners on second and third base. Ziomek buckled down to force a flyout to Pledger in right field, closing the book on a very impressive outing from the left-hander.
Hacker came on in relief in the top of the eighth inning, working around a one-out bunt single to retire the side, sending the Tornado offense back to work.
With two outs and runners on first and second base, Jason Jucker hit a single to the shortstop that loaded the bases up for Allison. The freshman was patient at the plate, forcing a walk that gave Brevard an extra insurance run to work with. The Tornados took a 5-1 lead into the final inning of the ballgame.
Scavotto came into the contest and made quick work of the Wasps, using just 12 pitches to throw a 1-2-3 inning, wrapping up BC's first home win of the season, 5-1.
Brevard will be back in action this coming weekend when the Tornados head to Montgomery, Alabama for a clash against Huntingdon College (9-6) from Friday-Sunday, March 13-15. The three-game series between the two USA South schools will be played as a non-conference series due to conference scheduling realignment and will begin on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
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-BC-