MISENHEIMER N.C. – Ryne Rodrigues (Summerfield, N.C.) launched a three-run homerun in the eighth as a part of a five-run uprising to blow things open in support of some masterful work on the mound, as Izaac McGuire (Wilkesboro, N.C.), John Yarnovich (Summerfield, N.C.), Hayden Sekanik (Tampa, Fla.), and Braden Wilkie (Cornelius, N.C.) combined to allow just a single unearned run for the Guilford College baseball team (8-9, 0-4 ODAC), as they got back in the win column with a 7-1 victory over Pfeiffer University (8-11, 3-0 USA South) at Joe Ferebee Field on Tuesday evening.

This one would feature the first collegiate start in the career of graduate student right-hander McGuire and he threw well over 3.0-plus innings, hitting a couple batters and walking one, but permitting just one hit and an unearned run while fanning two in a no decision. It would be a no decision for Falcons' starter Andrew Bruss as well, exiting in a tie game after 3.0 frames. He walked a pair and only allowed one hit though it was a homerun representing the one run permitted against one strikeout.

A bullpen day for both squads, the pitching decisions would come down to the relievers with Yarnovich getting the win for the Quakers to improve to 2-0 after going 3.0 innings of shutout relief work, allowing two hits, a walk, and an HBP against one K. Skyler Faircloth was the longest-tenured pitcher either side deployed, and was effective over 4.0 innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out one, but he surrendered the lead and his offense never picked him up to take the loss and drop to 0-1.

The top-five in of the Quaker lineup all had productive days. Back in the leadoff spot, Rylan Smith (Archdale, N.C.) went deep for the Quakers and later walked, scoring a pair of runs. Rodrigues drew a couple walks in addition to his longball, stealing a base behind him with Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) scoring once in a 1-4 day that featured a double and a free pass. After that, Dominic Pegues (Raleigh, N.C.) finished 1-3 with a walk, scoring a couple times and Chris Shoemaker (Winston-Salem, N.C.) was the lone batter to pick up multiple hits for GC.

Jack Brandle reached in all-four plate appearances for the Falcons, collecting two hits and two walks, driving in the lone Falcon tally, and Connor Coy picked up a pair of hits and was hit by a pitch as well. However, the other seven men in the Pfeiffer lineup combined to go 1-18 with two walks and two HBPs. Joe Javier was the only run-scorer and Levi Barrett had the only other hit for the hosts.

Guilford's defensive woes continued in the first, as Pfeiffer grabbed an unearned run in the home half of the first. Nabbing his 13^th attempted base-stealer of the season already, Trevor Myers (Eastampton, N.J.) helped get the first two outs swiftly, but an errand Smith throw on what would have been the third out instead placed Javier at second. Brandle immediately cashed it in with a soft single that found a hole up the middle to plate the run. Smith would redeem himself in the top of the third, jumping the first pitch of his second plate appearance against Bruss, launching his second homerun of the last week over the left-centerfield fence for the equalizer, tying things at one at the end of three innings.

The Quakers seized the lead in the fourth, swiftly stacking baserunners on with singles by Pegues and Shoemaker putting runners on the corners with no outs. Myers rolled over into a double play as the hosts yielded the run, in favor of the outs as Pegues crossed to take a 2-1 lead which is where the score remained through the seventh inning.

All the while, Guilford pitching was shutting it down. Despite McGuire plunking the leadoff man, Yarnovich entered, induced a double play and rolled that into a scoreless middle third of the contest, working around leadoff hits in the fifth and sixth innings. He gave way to Sekanik for the seventh, and Pfeiffer got the leadoff man on with a hit by Coy, but got a huge strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play and the Quakers rode that momentum, finally opening things up some in the eighth.

Ethan George (Burlington, N.C.) got it started by yanking a single through the shortstop hole before the Falcons wanted no part of Smith, walking him on four pitches. After a visit to the mound, Rodrigues took advantage of the chance against his former team, mashing the first pitch he saw from Mason Mosteller into the trees beyond leftfield for his third homer of the year. GC was not done, either as Dark and Pegues followed with walks and Shoemaker dropped down what was likely intended to be a sacrifice bunt, but he beat the play for a hit. To make matters worse, Mosteller threw the ball down the line, allowing both runners to score and while Guilford left Shoemaker at second, they had pushed across five runs in the inning. That ended up being all the Quakers required, as Sekanik worked a scoreless eighth and Wilkie got a double play to face the minimum in the ninth to finish the 7-1 lead.

It will be midweek Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) action next for Guilford, as they head up to Danville, Va. to battle league foe, Averett University for a single contest tomorrow afternoon, March, 18^th, at 3:00 PM.

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