ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. - The Brevard College baseball team (22-18) fell 8-3 to top-seed and nationally-ranked No. 19 North Carolina Wesleyan University (32-11) in game one of the USA South Conference Championship Series on Friday evening at Bauer Field in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
 
The loss sets up a pair of must-win contests for the Tornados tomorrow, with action beginning at 2 p.m. Two wins will give BC its first-ever USA South title, but one loss gives NC Wesleyan the crown.
 
Logan Clark, Colson Miller, and CP Pyle all recorded two hits apiece for the Tornados, with Miller recording his eighth home run of the season along with a double, with Pyle adding a double of his own. Clark, Miller, and Cale Oehler all drove in runs, while Pyle led all Tornados with two walks drawn.
 
Connor Crosby (1-5) got the start and lasted two innings, surrendering five hits and five earned runs (six total runs) with three walks and a strikeout before being relieved by Andy Fahringer. The sophomore turned in a career-high six innings of work, allowing two hits, two runs, and three walks while striking out three NC Wesleyan batters.
 
USA South Conference Player of the Year Tyson Bass slugged two home runs in a 2-for-4 performance, cranking a three-run homer in the second inning before launching a two-run shot in the sixth for a total of five RBI. Cord Butler (11-0), the USA South Pitcher of the Year, went seven innings for the win, allowing six hits and three earned runs with four walks and 10 strikeouts.
 
Pyle led the game off with a double into the right-center field gap, and despite a pair of strikeouts induced by Butler, Oehler came through with a two-out RBI single to give Brevard the early 1-0 lead. The Battling Bishops found an answer with two runs on three hits and a Tornado error, as the first inning ended with the hosts on top 2-1.
 
Miller launched his eighth home run of the season in the top of the second inning to tie the game back up, 2-2. Tyson Bass put a three spot up in the bottom of the second, launching a two-out, three-run homer to center field. NC Wesleyan added a run in the bottom of the third on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, however Fahringer and the Tornado defense were able to limit the damage as the host stranded the bases loaded with a four-run lead, 6-2.
 
Brevard was able to load the bases with a pair of walks and a fielder's choice in the top of the fifth with one out, and Clark drove in a run with an RBI single, but the Tornados were unable to muster more offense in the frame, stranding the bags loaded.
 
Bass launched his second home run of the day in the bottom of the sixth, sending one over the left-field fence for a two-run shot with two outs, pushing the NCW lead to five runs, 8-3.
 
Butler finished his outing with 131 pitches, throwing seven innings allowing six hits and three runs while striking out 10 Tornados. Cheeley came in for Butler in the top of the eighth, allowing just one hit with four strikeouts to seal the deal, as NCW earned the game one win, 8-3.
 
The Tornados will need to take games 2 and 3 in order to claim the USA South Conference Championship tomorrow. Action begins at 2 p.m. at Bauer Field, with the Tornados serving as the designated home team in the first game of the doubleheader.
 
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