ATLANTA – The Piedmont College baseball team took a midweek contest against Emory at the Eagles' nest with a 6-2 win to improve to 21-6 overall.
The win was thanks in large part to stellar pitching from ace Sam Carpenter (5-0) and an explosive offensive inning in the sixth. He allowed one run on five hits and struck out seven batters in the win.
The Lions trailed 1-0 after Emory managed three hits and scored a run in the bottom of the first, but after surrendering three hits in the first inning, Carpenter allowed just two more in his outing. Piedmont tallied a hit in each of the first three innings but it was not until the third that it would produce a run.
Brady Ballstadt tied the game after Wes Snyder was walked when Ballstadt doubled to left field and drove in the tying run. It was quiet once more until the top of the sixth inning when the Lions broke open the contest with four runs on two hits and three errors by the Eagles.
EVAN MEADE began the inning reaching on a throwing error and was aboard at second. With one out, Zachary Swindell was walked and Tyler Sheley singled to score Meade while Swindell advanced two bases thanks to another error. The final error came on a safety squeeze as Snyder was credited with the sacrifice despite staying on base due to a fielding error by the pitcher.
Piedmont led 3-2 at this point and would add another pair of runs on a bases-loaded single by TYLER BURDETTE to drive in Snyder and Sheley. The Lions added another run in the top of the eighth on a wild pitch after two walks and a single had the bases loaded.
Matt Vonderschmidt entered in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded and in crunch time secured a fly out and got the final batter looking to leave them loaded to end the inning. Vonderschmidt earned the save closing out the game allowing one run in the ninth on a pair of hits.
Up next, Piedmont will host Covenant for the final home series in conference play beginning Friday, April 5.
