DEMOREST, Ga. -- Ninth-ranked Birmingham-Southern College connected for five doubles Friday in an 11-hit attack to help take an early lead en route to an 8-1 non-conference victory over Virginia Wesleyan College on the campus of Piedmont College. (Birmingham-Southern box)

It was the first loss of the season in four games for the Marlins, who knocked out seven hits, but could not drive in the runs to keep scoring pace with the Panthers from Alabama.

B-SC (6-1) ended a scoreless game in the second inning, scoring four runs with the aid of four hits and two VWC errors.  Bryan Higginbotham (Marietta, Ga./Marietta), John Lawroski (Ocala, Fla./Trinity Catholic) and Drew Leachman (Mobile, Ala./McGill Toolen Catholic) all ripped doubles in the inning.

The Panthers moved in front 6-0 after a two-run fourth inning and added solo runs in the sixth and eighth.

Virginia Wesleyan tallied its solo run in the sixth, which opened with a double from sophomore Jacob Pierce (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch).  Junior Shayne Paskanik (Fredericksburg, Va./Colonial Forge) followed with a single and junior Mike McCutcheon (Chesapeake, Va./Deep Creek) singled home Pierce.  But, the chance to cut into the spread ended with three consecutive outs. 

VWC left bases loaded in the first inning, two on in the fourth and one on in each of the final three innings.

Senior Alex DeJesus (Norfolk, Va./Lake Taylor) started on the mound for VWC and took the loss after four innings of work.  He struck out two batters, walked one and gave up nine hits and four earned runs.  Jacob Settle (Richmond, Va./Home schooled), Buddy Lawson (Virginia Beach/First Colonial), Evan Polk (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge), Ryan Brinkley (Virginia Beach/Tallwood), Mike Carissimo (Nutley, N.J./Nutley) and Jeremy Hagwood (Suffolk, Va./Lakeland) all pitched for VWC.  Polk faced four batters and struck out all four.

Clay Malcolm (Marietta, Ga./Kennesaw Mountain) took the mound win for B-SC, pitching six innings.  He struck out two, walked five and allowed four hits.  Drew Crofton (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia/Mercersburg Academy, Pa.) and Alex Goodsell (Hodgesville, Ky./LaRue County) entered in relief.

Sophomore Josh Miller (Norfolk, Va./Chesapeake Greenbrier Christian) hit 2-for-4 for the Marlins. Mitch Green (Cordova, Md./St. Michael's) added a single.

Brandon Ricco (Helena, Ala./Pelham) finished 3-for-5 for B-SC.

Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Saturday, Feb. 19, facing the host Piedmont Lions (3-3) at 6 p.m.

--AMDG--