GASTONIA, N.C. – Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) roped a 1-1 pitch into the right-centerfield gap and his 360-foot mad dash around the basepaths at CaroMont Health Ballpark commenced, getting some help from the defense for a go-ahead little league homerun in extras, completing a wild comeback by the Guilford College baseball team (14-15, 3-9 ODAC) to stun Johnson & Wales University- Charlotte (3-22, 0-0 C2C), 10-9 in 10 innings on Wednesday night.  

It was the young right arms of Brayden Kurk (Weddington, N.C.) and Braden Wilkie (Cornelius, N.C.) that made it all possible though. Izaac McGuire (Wilkesboro, N.C.) got the nod for GC but allowed five runs, two earned, on five hits and a pair of hit batsmen over just 1.0-plus innings, then Reilan Vickrey (Greensboro, N.C.) came on and was a little better, but like McGuire, was not aided by his defense, resulting in a big deficit. But Kurk and Wilkie entered, settled things, and bought the offense time and then Stratton Barwick (Siler City, N.C.), throwing for the second-straight night, ended up as the beneficiary. Earning the win, Barwick threw 2.0 innings allowing just a single baserunner on a HBP while fanning four to improve to 4-1.

McKinley Myles was actually quite impressive for the Wildcats, allowing two runs over his first seven frames, but when the wheels fell off, they would not stop rolling. He finished 7.2 innings allowing 11 hits, a pair of walks, and a hit batsman leading to six runs and likely deserved better. Joseph Mannix then blew the save and Bayten Auten allowed the winning run at the end of his 2.0 innings on the bump to fall to 0-1.

The top-four of the GC lineup did the heavy-lifting as they all reached in at least half their plate appearances including one-or-more extra-base hit. Trae Pitts (Land O' Lakes, Fla.) went 2-5 with a double and a walk, stealing a bag, scoring twice and driving in one out of the leadoff spot. Ryne Rodrigues (Summerfield, N.C.) followed him and stayed hot, going 3-6 with a trio of doubles, scoring twice and driving in three. Dark's triple headlined a 3-5 performance with a walk, scoring twice and driving in one and Rylan Smith (Archdale, N.C.) reached in five of his six PA's, finishing 4-5 with two doubles and a walk, driving in one run. Dominic Pegues (Raleigh, N.C.) also made the most of his four plate appearances in reserve, doubling, walking, scoring once and driving in one in a 2-3 showing.

Sami Nezaj doubled and was hit by a pitch in a 1-4 game, stealing two bases, scoring twice, and driving in two in the loss. Marco Fernandez also had two RBIs in a 2-5 that included a triple and a run scored. Logan Howland bashed an extra-base hit, his a double, in a 2-5 night, scoring once. Jordan Brown reached once with a hit and twice by being hit, scoring two runs and driving in one for the hosts.

For the second-straight evening, Guilford grabbed the lead straight away, as Pitts legged out an infield hit to short, swiped second then took third on a Dark productive out. It did not matter though, as Smith went oppo, for a two-bagger, bringing home the games' initial run.

JWU would proceed to build a huge lead, though, first by countering in the home half of the first. McGuire let the second man he faced off the hook, plunking Nezaj in a two-strike count before he swiped second and took third on a hit by Brown, putting men on the corners. A wild pitch advanced each runner, including the tying run, then Fernandez put the hosts in front with a single of his own, though a double play ended the inning with the score 2-1. JWU promptly extended their lead in the second, too, with Howland and Carlitos Ramirez singling then Stetson Stack dropped down a sacrifice bunt bid, but he beat the play and the ball was thrown down the line, allowing two runs to score. A walk preceded a two-run double by Nezaj and he later scored on a Brown groundout. Finally in the fourth, the Wildcats extended their lead further with a Fernandez RBI-triple, later scoring when Hernandez got caught stealing, piling up a 9-1 lead.

The young Quaker arms kept them in the game, though. Vickrey was responsible for a couple unearned runs in the second then both tallies in the fourth, but got six valuable outs. Kurk then came on and tossed a pair of flawless frames then Wilkie shutdown a trio of innings in relief. This gave the bats time to find their footing. GC finally got back in the run column with solitary run from a Rodrigues double then a Dark single in the fifth, but the big rally came in the eighth.

Smith took a walk and Gavin Fleming (Gibsonville, N.C.) singled, putting two on before a flyout and fielders choice represented the first-two outs, but the Quakers simply refused to make the third from there. Pegues doubled in the inning's first run, then Hayden Sekanick (Tampa, Fla.) got drilled to load the bases and prompt a pitching change for the Wildcats. Mannix proceeded to walk Pitts to force in a run, then serve up a huge three-run double to Rodrigues. The Quaker first baseman got to third on a wild pitch during the proceedings of a Dark walk, that prompted another change on the hill before both runners advanced on a wild pitch making it a one-run game. Smith kept the line moving, beating an infield hit then Fleming got hit by a pitch to load the bases, and another wild one allowed Dark to dart home, tying the game at nine.

Wilkie finished his outing with a shutdown eighth before a scoreless ninth brought this one to extras, setting the stage for Dark's mad dash, and Barwick polished off the rest, granting Guilford the 10-9 win.

The Quakers are back to Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play next, heading north to battle No. 9 Bridgewater College for a pair on Saturday, April 11^th. First pitch of game one is slated for noon in Virginia.

#GoQuakes