By: CofC Sports Media
Danny Wondrack (Wall, N.J.) and Ari Sechopoulos (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) each drove in three runs, and Chaz Davey (North Augusta, S.C.) plated two to lead the College of Charleston baseball team to a 12-3 win over UNC Asheville on Sunday afternoon at Patriots Point.
With the win, College of Charleston (3-0) completes its second straight season-opening sweep after pushing across 12 runs on 14 hits – including six for extra bases. The Cougars converted 3-of-5 opportunities with a runner on third and less than two outs, and batted .375 (6-for-16) with runners in scoring position. Charleston's pitching staff held UNC Asheville (0-3) to three runs on eight hits and three walks.
Wondrack and Sechopoulos paced a balanced offense with three RBI each, as Sechopoulos launched a two-run homer in the fourth and Wondrack laced a two-run double in the fifth. Davey plated two runs with a third-inning two-run double to push his RBI total to six, and added three runs scored as part of a 2-for-4 effort.
Joey Mundy (Huntington, W.Va.) crushed a solo home run to right in his first plate appearance of the season, and Jared Kirven (Lexington, S.C.) marked his first collegiate hit with an RBI single in the sixth. Cross Holfert (Laurinburg, N.C.) went 2-for-4 with a run scored, as Logan McRae (Florence, S.C.) plated one with an RBI double in the third. McLendon Sears (Sumter, S.C.) collected his first collegiate hit in his first at-bat with an infield single in the eighth.
Austin George (Mooresville, N.C.) got the start and pitched into the fourth, allowing three runs and striking out a career-high five batters. Steven Cook (Westminster, S.C.) struck out two over two shutout innings to pick up the win, as Tradd James (Sumter, S.C.) tossed a scoreless sixth.
Kris Kuhn (Summerville, S.C.) delivered a superb performance out of the ‘pen as well, striking out a personal-best four batters in one and two-thirds perfect innings. Trent Joiner (Huntersville, N.C.) retired the only batter he faced in the eighth, as Nathan Ocker (Middletown, Pa.) fanned two in a perfect ninth.
Danny Wilson led the way for UNC Asheville with an RBI in a 2-for-4 effort. Brandon Lankford and Jacob Edwards each added an RBI, as Dominic Freeberger collected two hits.
Ethan Tressler took the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing five runs on six hits in three and one-third innings. Joe Sondock retired the only two batters he faced in the fourth. Trey Jernigan and JP Perez were each touched for three runs in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively. Freeberger tossed a scoreless seventh before David Dobson surrendered the final run of the afternoon in the eighth.
The Cougars return to the diamond on Wednesday when they host in-city foe Charleston Southern at Patriots Point. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
