#MustangsSweep! CBC Uses Dominant Pitching, Timely Hitting to Sweep Crowley's Ridge

Erik Holth, CBC Sports Information Director

            North Little Rock, Ark. – Returning home for the first time since March 26, Central Baptist College baseball hosted the Pioneers of Crowley's Ridge this afternoon, looking to snap an eight-game losing skid. CBC (19-19) got a dominant effort from Gram Middleton in the first game to win 13-1 before taking game two 7-5 over CRC (10-21)

            The sweep gave CBC 10 straight wins vs. the Pioneers and 41 all-time in the series. Middleton struck out 16 batters in game one, tied for the second most all-time and the most since Fernando Escapita also struck out 16 in the final game of the 2020 season.

GAME ONE – CBC 13, CRC 1

            Middleton rolled through the first, striking out the side around two walks. CBC would give him three runs of support in the first on a fielder's choice, an error and an RBI single by Ruben Hernandez. Middleton would strikeout two more in the second and the score stayed 3-0 after two. Two more Ks kept it 3-0 in the third before CBC tacked on more runs, getting another RBI single from Hernandez to make it 4-0. Middleton K'd two more in the fourth and the Mustangs would blow the game open in the bottom half, tallying nine runs, highlighted by a three-run homer from Logan Easterling, his 13^th of the season. Graham Dykes also had a two run double in the inning to go with RBI singles by Austin Teal and Benito Martinez to go with a run-scoring error. Middleton would strikeout seven over the final three innings, only running into trouble in the sixth, when he allowed the lone run to make it 13-1. His final line was one run on three hits with four walks and 16 Ks.

GAME TWO – CBC 7, CRC 5

            Crowley's Ridge would take a 1-0 lead in the second game as Escapita didn't make it out of the first before being relieved by Cole Edwards, who kept the damage at a minimum. An RBI single from Wille Baez would tie the score at one in the bottom of the first, and, following an easy second by Edwards, Kyle Bass brought in a run with a sac fly to give CBC a 2-1 lead. Edwards would get into trouble in the third, as CRC tied the game, and Slayton Holland came in and kept the score tied at 2-2. CBC would retake the lead for good in the bottom half thanks to a two-run double by Danilo Taborda and a single by Dykes. The score would stay 5-2 until the fifth when Dykes drove in another run with a single to make it 6-2. Taborda's third hit and third RBI of the day made it 7-2 in the sixth and Holland got the first two outs before running into trouble and surrendering three runs. Jackson Lindsey would enter and get the final out on a fielder's choice for his second save of the season. Holland was the winner, going 4.2 innings and allowing four hits and three runs with four strikeouts.

UP NEXT

            The Mustangs return to American Midwest Conference play on Friday afternoon when they welcome the Spartans of Missouri Baptist to Burns Park. First pitch of Friday's doubleheader is slated for noon.