Southeast Region Recap (2/16-2/22)

#8 Lenoir-Rhyne vs. USC Beaufort / @ Carson-Newman (4-0)

Lenoir-Rhyne got the week started with a 21-6 win over USC Beaufort, scoring 19 runs over the last 4 innings. The Bears then went on the road and picked up an impressive series sweep over Carson-Newman, combining to score 13 runs in just 4.2 innings against the two-headed monster of Ryan Higgins and Kolton Casson in games 1 and 3. Seth Christmas had quite a week for the Bears, going 8-14 with 2 doubles, a triple, 3 home runs, and 10 RBI, while also hitting for the cycle in the win over USCB, while Drew Beard went 9-14 with 2 doubles, a triple, and 4 RBI. The Bears are now hitting .336 as a team, and the scariest part is Mackenzie Wainwright is ‘only’ hitting .361 with 2 home runs thus far. It’s only a matter of time until he turns it on, and when that happens, watch out. On the mound, Jack Renaud picked up his second and third saves of the season with 2 scoreless innings and 3 Ks in Game 1, while closing out Game 2 with 1.1 more scoreless. Preston Drebes got the Game 2 win with a huge relief outing, going 3.2 shutout with 5 punchouts. Kellen Gradisar moved to 3-0 with a 7 inning complete game win in the finale, racking up 6 strikeouts. Another huge weekend awaits the Bears, as Catawba comes to town for arguably the best series of the D2 season thus far. 

#5 Catawba @ Belmont Abbey / vs. Mars Hill (4-0)

Speaking of Catawba, the Indians handled business last week, picking up a big-time 8-3 midweek win in 11 innings at Belmont Abbey followed up by a series sweep of Mars Hill. Brandon Crabtree continued his torrid start, going 10-14 last week with a double to raise his average to a cool .511. Crabtree has multiple hits in 9 of 12 games and has been a huge addition to the Catawba lineup. The 1-2 weekend punch of Colt Wilkins and Kemper Nix was good again, as Wilkins went 7 complete in Game 1, allowing just 2 earned with 9 punchies, while Nix went 6.2 with 7 Ks and 2 earned in Game 2. As a team, Catawba is pitching to the tune of a 2.40 ERA, but will face its stiffest test this weekend in the aforementioned series against Lenoir-Rhyne.

#23 Francis Marion vs. Lander / vs. Shorter (4-0)

Francis Marion ran its winning streak to 11 games with a perfect week, picking up a wild 12-11 win in 10 innings over Lander before sweeping Shorter to move to 6-0 in Conference Carolinas play. In the midweek win over Lander, the Patriots erased an 8-5 deficit in the 7^th inning, a 10-9 deficit in the 9^th inning, and an 11-10 deficit in the 10^th inning, walking it off with a suicide squeeze. Death, taxes, and Charlie Bussey III racking up hits. Bussey turned in an 8-13 week, and is now hitting .536 this season. Will Dorrell also stayed hot, going 11-21 with 5 RBI. Dorrell has had a hit in all 14 games this year and is hitting .491 with 18 RBI. On the mound, the Pats got 6 scoreless and 5 Ks from Aydin Palmer in the series opener against Shorter, while veteran Robbie Jordan fired 6 innings of 2-run ball in Game 2 to move to 4-0. Jafet Martinez Delgado gave FMU a lift in the series finale, going the final 4.2 innings and allowing just an unearned run on 2 hits with 7 punchouts. In another highly anticipated series across the Southeast, the Patriots welcome North Greenville to town for a pivotal Conference Carolinas series.

#20 Young Harris vs. Barton (3-0)

Young Harris picked up three football score wins over Barton to sweep its second straight Conference Carolinas series. The Mountain Lions won by scores of 17-6, 10-7, and 17-7 as that offense is humming, currently hitting .378 as a team, and is leading Division II in home runs (37) and slugging percentage (.662). Keypher Contreras led the way offensively, going 7-9 with a triple, four jacks, and 9 RBI. Young Harris currently has six regulars hitting .400+, including Contreras and Jackson Morgan, while the duo has each hit 8 homers, good for second in the country.

Georgia Southwestern at Valdosta State / vs. Georgia College (3-1)

Georgia Southwestern improved to 10-5 overall and 5-1 in the Peach Belt with a 3-1 week. The Hurricanes showed their lineup depth over the course of the week, getting a combined 18 multi-hit outings. On the year, 8 of 9 regulars are hitting .314+ as the team is hitting .340. Evan Wainman (.429, 9 XBH, 12 RBI), Devon Murphy (.403, 10 XBH, 23 RBI), and Josh McDonald (.361, 6 XBH, 24 RBI) lead the way at the plate, while Evan Koehler has been nails in the rotation, currently sitting 3-0 with a 1.63 ERA with 39 Ks in 27.2 innings. Cooper Sain has been a weapon out of the pen, as the righty has two saves and a 0.82 ERA in 11 innings. Freshman LHP Johnny Nutt has had a coming out party the last two weekends, combining to go 14 innings with just 7 hits and 3 earned runs allowed to go along with 12 strikeouts.