College of Charleston
UNC Greensboro
Leeds? Four RBI Game Propels Baseball to 9-2 Win over UNC Greensboro
3/20/2010 8:00:00 PM | Baseball
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Sophomore 3B Matt Leeds (Boca Raton, Fla./American Heritage) batted 2-for-4 with four RBI, including a two-run blast in the eighth to lead College of Charleston to a 9-2 Southern Conference victory over UNC Greensboro Saturday afternoon at UNCG Baseball Stadium.
The Cougars (16-5, 3-2 SoCon) jumped to a 2-0 lead in the third inning, scoring a run when Leeds was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring home junior RF Baker Knox (San Mateo, Fla./Daytona Beach CC). CofC added the second run in the next at bat as junior LF Jose Rodriguez (Hialeah, Fla./Broward College) grounded into a fielder's choice, plating junior CF Cole Rakar (Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Wando).
UNCG (11-7, 0-2) battled back in the bottom of the frame, scoring a run to cut the deficit to 2-1. After getting the first batter out, senior starter Kevin Decker (Washington, Ind./Seminole CC) loaded the bases on three straight walks and gave up an infield RBI single to Corey Overholtzer. Decker escaped any further damage by getting Ray Quinones to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Both teams trade single runs in the fifth inning, as Rakar led off the inning with a double to left field and advanced to third on a ground out by junior DH Rob Kral (Randolph, N.J./Randolph). Rakar would come home on a RBI double down the right field line by Leeds. The Spartans also led off the inning with a double, coming off the bat of Harry Slade. Slade scored on a RBI groundout to first by Taylor Schwartz.
Charleston plated two more runs in the sixth, scoring on a RBI groundout to second by Knox and a RBI single to right by Kral that brought home Rakar. The Cougars tallied another run in the seventh for a 6-2 lead as senior 1B Greg Blake (Westerly, R.I./Lake City CC) singled down the right-field line and scored on a RBI double to straightaway center by junior C Robert Pritcher (Charleston, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist College).
Leeds added a two-run blast to right in the eighth, his sixth of the year, bringing home Knox, who singled down the left-field line to start the inning. In the ninth, junior SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C./USC Sumter JC) hit a sacrifice fly to deep center, scoring Pritcher for a 9-2 advantage.
Decker tossed seven strong innings for the win, improving to 3-0 on the year. The right-hander scattered three hits and allowed two runs and walked three. Pritcher had three hits on the afternoon, including two doubles and a triple. Warren Slack took the loss for the Spartans, allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits in 5.1 innings with five strikeouts.
Charleston and UNCG close out the series with game three Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
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