ASHEBORO, N.C. - The Brevard College baseball team (17-23-1) fell twice as Greensboro College (28-14-1) took both games, 8-4 and 16-5, to advance to the USA South Conference Championship Series at historic McCrary Park on the turf of Dr. Jon "Buck" Couch Field on Friday.
 
The Pride used early runs to build up a lead that was too much for the Tornados to overcome in game one of the best-of-three series. BC cut the deficit in game two down to three runs, but eight-straight scores by the Pride put the game on ice and sent the Tornados home from the postseason.
   
Greensboro nearly got out of the top of the first inning unscathed after forcing a ground ball double play, but Logan Sawyer drew a two-out walk and Cale Oehler made the Pride pay with a blast over the right-field wall that put Brevard up, 2-0. The long ball marked Oehler's eighth of 2025, and his 23rd career round tripper.
 
The Pride put together a two-out rally of their own in the bottom-half of the first, as a two-out RBI single that snuck through the right side of the infield cut the Tornado lead in half. Sykes then roped a two-RBI double that bounced all the way to the wall, giving the site hosts the lead, 3-2. Davis Bryson got BC out of the inning with a stellar backhand play and a throw across the diamond.
 
BC senior Luke Morton got the second inning started with an infield single and advanced to second base on a throwing error. The Tornados were unable to capitalize, however, as Greensboro forced three-straight outs. Jacob Thompson (2-2) was able to answer by hurling a scoreless bottom of the second.
 
The Pride tacked on a pair with a two-run shot off the bat of Rush Bowman to extend their advantage to a three-run margin after three innings, 5-2. Greensboro added a run in the bottom of the fourth via an RBI single, pushing its edge to four runs.
 
Bowman made the Tornados pay once again in the bottom of the fifth, blooping an RBI single into center field that scored a run. Greensboro scored another run on a double play to extend its lead to a six-run margin, 8-2 after five innings played.
 
BC was able to cut the deficit to four runs, 8-4 with two runs in the top of the sixth. Lucas Granata hit an RBI single to center that plated Oehler, while Nico Bartolotti punched a single up the middle that brought Vasquez around.
 
Greensboro was able to settle in after the rocky sixth, keeping the Tornados off the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest to take game one of the best-of-three set, 8-4.
   
It was the hosts who got out to the early edge in the second game of the day, as Bowman hit his second home run of the day - a three-run shot with two outs - to put Greensboro up 3-0. GC continued to pour it on in the bottom of the first with a based-clearing three-RBI double and an RBI single made it 7-0 after one inning.
 
The Tornados were able to scratch across a run in the top of the second as Luke Morton crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
 
Aaron Burchett held the Pride off the board in his relief appearance through the fifth inning. Brevard responded with three runs in the top of the sixth, as Vasquez drilled a two-RBI double to center field, followed by a Granata sacrifice fly as the Tornados cut the deficit to three runs, 7-4.
 
GC was able to get a run back in the bottom of the sixth on a wild pitch. BC answered with a run of its own in the top of the seventh, with Hunter Busque bringing Nico Bartolotti around via a sacrifice fly, making it an 8-5 score.
 
Game two was delayed in the middle of the seventh, marking the second lighting delay of Friday. Following the delay, GC came out swinging, as the Pride scored eight unanswered runs to close out a 16-5 win and earn their spot in the USA South Championship series.
 
The pair of defeats brings the 2025 campaign to a close for the BC baseball team. BC qualified for the USA South postseason for the third-consecutive year, and accumulated double-digit wins in conference action for the third-straight campaign. Three total Tornados earned All-Conference honors as well.
 
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