BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College baseball team (7-7) split a doubleheader with Berea College (3-9) on Sunday afternoon at Gil Coan Field.
The Tornados took an exciting 9-8 victory in game one, as freshman infielder
Nico Bartolotti hit a walk-off RBI single in his first collegiate start. Berea answered back with an 11-5 victory in game two to split the non-conference series.
GAME ONE: BREVARD 9, BEREA 8
Despite falling behind early, facing a 6-0 deficit through four innings played, the Tornados rallied to score eight unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Berea was able to tie the contest back up in the top of the eighth with a pair of runs before Bartolotti's heroics in the bottom of the ninth.
BC hit a season-high two home runs in game one, with
Cale Oehler launching his first round tripper of the season and
Logan Sawyer blasting his first career home run, with both being two-run shots.
Logan Clark and
Gavin McCoy added doubles, while
CP Pyle notched a triple.
Lucas Granata, Clark, Pyle, and Sawyer all had multi-hit outings, with Pyle coming across the plate three times including the game-winning run. Oehler and Sawyer each had two RBI each as well.
Ethan Coleman (2-0) was the pitcher of record for the Tornados after a clean ninth inning of work. Through four innings pithed this season, Coleman has not yet allowed a run, and Berea's lone hit off him was the first base knock that the senior RHP has allowed in 2024.
Connor Crosby was the starting pitcher for the Tornados, while
Andy Fahringer and
Jacob Thompson worked out of the bullpen.
Berea was led by a four-hit performance from Ricardo Serra. Marcelo Manrique added three hits for the visiting Mountaineers.
GAME TWO: BEREA 11, BREVARD 5
Errors proved costly for the Tornados in game number two of the DH, as Brevard surrendered 11 runs with three being unearned following three total errors in the contest. BC used a total of six pitchers with
Blake Altschuler starting the game, going four innings with four hits and an unearned run.
Cesar Rodriguez made his 2024 debut while
Cameron Cook,
Kalen Milstead, Fahringer, and
Cody Southern also took the mound for the Tornados.
Luke Morton went 3-for-3 in game two with four RBI, two walks, and a pair of doubles as Brevard out-hit Berea 13-12. Bartolotti, Pyle, and Sawyer also had multiple hits as eight different Tornados registered base knocks.
Five different Mountaineers raked two hits each in the winning effort. The Tornados took the early lead, 1-0, in the bottom of the third before Berea answered with a run in the top of the fourth. Berea took a 2-1 edge after the top of the fifth, but BC answered back with two runs in the bottom-half of the frame to retake the lead, 3-2.
Berea tied things back up in the top of the sixth and broke the game open with a five-run seventh inning, and held Brevard to two runs through the last three innings to earn the 11-5 win.
The Tornados open USA South Conference play on Friday at 3 p.m. vs. Southern Virginia University at Gil Coan Field, kicking off a three-game series between the Tornados and Knights.
To follow the latest news and updates surrounding Brevard College Athletics, follow the Tornados on Twitter/Instagram @BCTornados, subscribe to 'Brevard College Tornados' on YouTube and SoundCloud, and follow 'Brevard College Tornado Athletics' on Facebook. In addition, follow 'brevardcollege' on Flickr for photos from BC events.
-BC-
