MURFREESBORO – The Chowan University Baseball team showed they can win games of any variety Saturday afternoon with a pair of victories over visiting Virginia State University. The Hawks (14-13, 10-2 CIAA) collected 15 hits in a 17-0 blowout win in the opener, but needed extra innings to secure a 2-1 thriller in the nightcap. 

 

Chowan scored early and often in game one, opening up a 7-0 lead after three innings. The Hawks collected seven hits in those three innings, two each from Ryan Moore and Colby Wiggins. Moore would finish the game going 3-4 from the plate, scoring a team-high four runs and driving in two runs.

 

Chowan added three more runs in the fifth inning, sparked by a lead-off home run by Ryan Moore. William Ward and Josh Catalano also picked up RBI in the inning. 

 

Chowan then exploded for seven runs in the home half of the sixth. In the frame, the Hawks collected four hits and drew four walks. Justin Bagbey, William Ward, and Brett Overton each had two RBI in the inning.

 

John DesChamps (3-3) earned the win for the Hawks, pitching a complete game four-hitter and striking out seven Trojan batters. Colby Wiggins and William Ward joined Ryan Moore with three hits in the game. Ward also stole two bases and drove in a team-high four runs. 

 

Game two was nothing like the opener, as the teams managed only two hits apiece. Virginia State (14-14, 7-7 CIAA) struck in the top of the first inning to open up an early 1-0 advantage. 

 

Chowan got on the board in the fifth inning behind a Brandon Mack sacrifice fly to score Thomas Bird. Neither team could generate any offense from that point on, sending the game into extra innings. 

 

After a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, the Hawks drew three consecutive walks to load the bases for Brandon Mack with only one out. VSU pitcher Darryl Springfield hit Mack with a pitch, scoring Colby Wiggins and ending the game. Earlier in the inning, Springfield was hit in the chest by an errant throw, but remained in the game.

 

Brett Garrett (6-3) earned the victory for Chowan, pitching all 9.0 innings, striking out seven and giving up one run off two hits. Darryl Springfield suffered the loss for the Trojans, despite pitching 8.1 innings and giving up only two hits.

 

These two teams will meet again tomorrow in Petersburg, VA. The doubleheader will begin at 1:00pm.