THE RUNDOWN
No. 17 DBU (16-9) dropped the series opener to Wofford 8-5 Friday night at Horner Ballpark. Seven hits and four runs in two out situations led the Terriers to their seventh-straight win. The Patriot bats struck for three home runs against the Wofford pitching staff but left 13 runners stranded in a game one loss.
The Terriers (19-8) jumped out to a 1-0 lead with two-out offense in the first frame. Following a pair of base hits, back-to-back walks loaded the bases and brought home the game's first run. But
Jacob Meador would punch out the final man and limit the damage.
DBU struck for two in the second.
Cole Moore singled to open the inning and eventually came home on a wild pitch.
Ryan Wrobleski then scored
Luke Heefner on a triple that blooped into right field.
Back-to-back solo shots ballooned the DBU lead in the third. First,
Blayne Jones obliterated a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left field for his seventh home run of the season. Then
Andrew Benefield answered with his first big fly over the day, a similar shot out of left field that swung the momentum DBU's way.
The Patriots loaded the bases in the fifth and seventh innings but would fail to capitalize as the Terriers scored six unanswered. A four-run seventh inning broke the game open for Wofford, with four runs coming home on two errors and just a single base hit.
Trailing 8-4 in the home half of the eighth,
Andrew Benefield left the yard for a second time, sending another solo blast out of left field to knock a run off the Wofford lead.
Cole Moore added to the comeback attempt with a double and advanced to third on a
Miguel Santos bunt. But Moore would get picked off at third and Heefner flied out to left field to squash the Patriots' final offensive push.
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
-Wofford takes the series lead and the first-ever contest between the two schools.
-DBU will look to even the series with a game two win on Saturday. The Patriots hold a 4-2 record in the second game of weekend series.
-
Andrew Benefield recorded his first multi-home run game of his career.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
14 -
Miguel Santos reached safely for the 14th consecutive time.
3 - The Patriots left the bases loaded three times; in the third, fifth, and seventh frames.
4 - Four Patriots had mult-hit games including
Andrew Benefield,
Blayne Jones,
Cole Moore, and
Ryan Wrobleski.
ON DECK
DBU and Wofford continue the three-game series Saturday, April 2. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Horner Ballpark.
