Baseball Spoils USC Aiken's Sweep

AIKEN, S.C.—The Barry baseball team collected their first road win of the season and avoided the sweep on a 5-4 win against the #30 USC Aiken Pacers on Sunday.

Barry was held scoreless through six innings until the Buccaneer bats exploded for five runs in the seventh to take a 5-2 lead over USC Aiken.

Dean Green started the offensive onslaught for Barry in the seventh on a leadoff solo home run over the right-center field fence. Matt Petty followed Green’s no doubter with a blast down the left field line for his first long ball the season to tie things up at 2-2. After Manny Pedrozo flied out and Lyndon Coleman reached on a fielder’s choice, Barry backup catcher Luis Arrizurieta stepped up to the plate with two outs and runners on the corners. Arrizurieta launched his first double of the year to right center field scoring Adrian English from third and Coleman from first. To cap things off in the seventh inning, Chris Leon singled up the middle to score Arrizurieta from second and giving the Bucs a decisive 5-2 advantage.

USC Aiken tallied one run in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead down to two with two innings to play. Sophomore transfer Matt Garlock took the mound in relief of the starter Cory Witkowski in the eighth and found himself in a jam in the bottom of the ninth.

The Pacers loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for DH Tripp Warrick. Garlock worked to a full count then walked Warrick to put the tying run a mere 90 feet from home and the winning run in scoring position on second base. USC Aiken right fielder Jowan Gray stepped up to the plate on the heels of a 3-4 day in the series finale. Garlock forced Gray to pop up to left field to end the game.

Witkowski eared win number two on the season, going seven innings giving up seven hits, and allowing only two earned runs. Garlock posted two innings with his first save of the season and allowed only three hits and one earned run.

Arrizurieta led the team offensively with a single, a double, and two RBIs. Green tallied five hits on the three-game series against USC Aiken, including two home runs, four RBIs, a .533 on base percentage. Green boosted his season average up to .321. Senior catcher Chris Leon added an RBI in every game of the weekend series.

The next action for the Bucs is Saturday, Feb. 19 in a double header at Florida Tech, with the first game starting at 2:00 p.m. Live coverage can be heard on the Buccaneer Broadcasting Network starting just before the first pitch.

Barry 5, USC Aiken 4
(Feb 13, 2011 at Aiken, SC)
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Barry….................. 000 000 500 - 5 7 1
USC Aiken........... 100 001 101 - 4 10 1
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Pitchers: Barry - Corey Witkowski; Matthew Garlock(8) and Luis Arrizurieta. USC Aiken -
Beasley; Grover(7); Peed(8); Padgett(9) and Miller.
T- A-0
HR BUB - Dean Green; Matt Petty.
Game: BB0213