Vance pitches last game as a Crusader, goes out with a victory
Posted by The Skyliner on April 29th, 2009Cory Guinn
Staff Writer
Infielder David Frazier, freshman sport management, knocks in a run with a sixth inning triple against Emmanuel College. (Photo by Cory Guinn)
The Crusader baseball team continued their long road trip on April 21 when they traveled to Mars Hill, N. C., to play against Mars Hill College. MHC was on fire from the beginning putting together 20 hits en route to 17-7 victory over NGU.
The Lions scored the first run of the game in the first inning but North Greenville was able to tie the game in the top of the third when Derek Fulmer, freshman undecided, hit a solo home run. In the bottom of the inning Mars Hill erupted for five runs and continued to score at will through the rest of the game. Fulmer hit a three-run home run in the top of the eighth to cap off the scoring for NGU.
Fulmer led the offense for the fourth straight game going 3-for-6 from the plate knocking in four RBI and scoring three runs. Dayton Lupton, junior sports management, went 4-for-5 in the game and Tyler Callicutt, junior accounting finished the game 2-for-5 from the plate.
Making just his third career start at the college level pitcher Drew Provence, freshman marketing, threw six innings and struck out nine while allowing only six hits and three earned runs in the final game of the season on April 27 against Emmanuel. (Photo by Cory Guinn)
North Greenville ended the road trip on April 22 in Dahlonega, Ga. in a doubleheader against North Georgia College. NGC defeated NGU 6-0 in the first game and fought back to rally for a 8-5 victory in the second game of the day.
In game one, the Crusaders bats were shut down and the team was unable to get any momentum going on offense, leading to the shut out by the Saints.
Game two provided the entertainment for the night as the two teams battled back and forth for the lead with North Georgia pulling away in the late innings. Callicutt was the leader on offense in the game finishing 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. Chris Harbit, sophomore biology, went 1-for-4 and had one RBI. Fulmer was 2-for-4 in the game and Rand Stegall, junior business, finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
North Greenville returned home on April 24 to play against Atlanta Christian College in the next to last game of the season. Devin Vance, senior business, pitched his last game as a Crusader and he made it a game to remember. Vance pitched a complete game allowing only six hits and striking out 10 batters as NGU came away with a 9-1 victory.
The offense was able to help out the pitching staff by pounding out 10 hits and nine runs in the game, including seven runs in the fourth inning alone. Callicutt finished the game 3-for-4 from the plate and Fulmer went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Stegall had a double in the game as well along with two RBI and Anthony Foulk, freshman sports management, had two RBI and scored two runs of his own.
The Crusaders’ final game of the season was played on Monday against Emmanuel College in Tigerville.