ROCKY MOUNT, North Carolina - The Virginia Wesleyan baseball team fell 5-4 to their North Carolina counterparts the Battling Bishops of N.C. Wesleyan College in a single road game on Saturday, February 27, in Rocky Mount, NC. The Marlins move to 0-1 on the season while the Battling Bishops are now 4-1.

INSIDE THE SCORE
Neither team found a run in the opening inning despite the Marlins having a runner on third in the top of the first. VWU found themselves in a bases loaded situation and Matt Dagostino scored a run on a wild pitch to go up 1-0. Sam Kasprow grounded out to the shortstop but scored Connor Hall to go up 2-0. The final run of the second inning came off a Miles Christian single to right field that scored Matt Sinko putting the Marlins up 3-0.

NCWC found their first run of the game, 3-1, in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly by Tyson Bass that scored Tristan Griffin who got on base on a triple to center field. THe Battling Bishops found their second run in the bottom of the fourth as Jackson Hobbs crossed home plate on the Jackson Murray single to left field. 

Neither team produced in the fifth inning but the Marlins extended their lead by two, 4-2, on a sac fly by Dagostino that scored Tyriq Campbell. VWU had runners on second and third following the score by Campbell, but couldn't bring them home as NCWC recorded a double play to end the inning. 

The Battling Bishops put the score at 4-3, in the bottom of the seventh as Bass singled to center field scoring Zach Lyon. NCWC later tied the game at four all in the bottom of the ninth on the Brad Pennington single that score Bass forcing extra innings.

The Marlins went three-up, three-down in te top of the tenth while Davie Morgan recorded a walk-off homer in the bottom half of the inning to win the game for the Bishops. 

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN LEADERS
The Marlins were led by Tyriq Campbell, Matt Dagostino, Connor Hall, and Matt Sinko with one run each. Hall recorded the only extra base hit with a double while Miles Christian, Matt Dagostino, and Samuel Kasprow all recorded RBI's. On the mound, Jay Crusemire threw 6.1 innings during which he gave up three runs on five hits while walking two and striking out five. Doug Avery took the loss after throwing 1.1 innings and giving up two runs on two hits.

NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN LEADERS
The Battling Bishops were led by Jackson Hobbs, Davie Morgan (HR), Zach Lyon, Tristan Griffin, and Tyson Bass who each recorded a run. Brad Pennington, Jackson Murray, Davie Morgan, and Tyson Bass (2) all recorded RBI's for the Battling Bishops. Derrick Carter started on the mound for NCWC throwing 5.1 innings during which he gave up four runs on four hits while walking five and striking out five. Kevin Williams earned the win after pitching 4.2 innings and striking out three.

UP NEXT
Virginia Wesleyan returns to action on Sunday, February 28, when they return to Rocky Mount, NC for a doubleheader against the Battling Bishops with game times set for 12 and 3 PM.