By:
Barry Mabry – November 4, 2012

-Pirates
(SC 14’s) vs Rays (NC 14’s)-

Manager
Sean Heffernan turned to Clemson
commit lefty Charlie Barnes (right) in
efforts of going undefeated in this year’s Border Battle. Barnes went scoreless
in his two innings of work before handing things over to Alex Eubanks who got touched up for two runs off a single and a
double in the third.

The
Rays, with a 2-0 lead, kept running out legit arm after legit arm to keep
Pirates’ bats quiet (three hits on the night). Eubanks went scoreless in the
fourth and gave way to C of C commit Tucker
Moring who struggled to locate his fastball allowing another runner to
plate making it 3-0.

The
Pirates tied the game in the top of the sixth. USC’s Jared Williams led the inning off with a drag bunt down third base
line. Two batters later an E6 plated a run for the Pirates. A walk was drawn by
Phillip Watcher and O’Kevius Conway reached on an infield
single with two outs bringing Grant
Holmes to the plate. Holmes hit a three-hopper to the third baseman that
skipped between his legs for an error and tying the game at three apiece. LT Tolbert would fly out ending the
inning.

Blake Peterson took over for
Moring and ran into some misfortune. An error led the inning off which resulted
in a single that plated the go ahead run. An infield single the next at-bat was
followed by an E2 on a back-pick to second base resulting in another run.

The
Pirates were down 5-3 going into the top half of the seventh. Brandon Justice was drilled to lead off
the inning and Robert Jolly drew a
walk. An error on the Rays catcher on a back-pick set up runners on second and
third with no outs. Trace Witt came
through with a sac-fly to right but the Rays pitched out of the jam only
allowing that run to score.

Winthrop’s
Carson Gregory came in the bottom
half and went scoreless ending this game with the Rays holding off the Pirates
5-4.

Final Score: NC Rays 5 SC
Pirates 4; LP: Blake Peterson