CofC Sports Media
Dupree Hart (Rock Hill, S.C.) drove in three runs, Chaz Davey (North Augusta, S.C.) plated two with a two-run bomb, and Griffin McLarty (Buckner, Ky.) struck out eight to lead the College of Charleston baseball team to a 9-0 shutout win over UNC Asheville in both teams' season opener on Friday evening at Patriots Point.
College of Charleston (1-0) pushed across nine runs on 10 hits – three for extra bases – while holding UNC Asheville (0-1) to seven singles and a double. The Cougars plated a pair of runs with two outs, while batting .571 (4-for-7) with a runner on third and less than two outs.
Hart paced the offense with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Davey marked his first hit at The College with a fifth-inning two-run homer to left center. Harrison Hawkins (Bishopville, S.C.) reached base three times with two singles and a walk in his first game with the Cougars; fellow junior college transfer Chris Graham (Leland, N.C.) went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored in his CofC debut.
Logan McRae (Florence, S.C.) and Danny Wondrack (Wall, N.J.) each drove in a run, and Cross Holfert (Laurinburg, N.C.) picked up a single and an RBI on a bases loaded walk in his first game at The College. Luke Stageberg (Greer, S.C.) added a pinch-hit single in the eighth.
McLarty got the ball in his season debut and pitched into the sixth, scattering four hits and striking out eight in five and two-thirds to earn his eighth career win. Steven Cook (Westminster, Md.) struck out three in a four-out debut. Tradd James (Sumter, S.C.) fanned the side in the seventh to mark his first appearance. Noah Hinzman (Greenwood, S.C.) tossed a scoreless ninth to close out the win.
Jacob Edward paced the Bulldogs with two hits, while Kole Harris collected UNC Asheville's lone extra base hit with an eighth-inning double.
Jordan Carr surrendered four earned runs on six hits in five innings to take the loss. Greg Gasparro tossed a scoreless sixth, while Joe Sondock held the Cougars off the board in the eighth.
The Cougars and Bulldogs will meet in the second game of the series on Saturday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. Junior Blake Robinson (Florence, S.C.) will take the ball for the first time as a Cougar opposite UNC Asheville junior Blake Brown.
