PEMBROKE, N.C. – Shepherd (3-3) recorded a 6-3 win over 13th-ranked UNC Pembroke (9-3) in baseball action at UNC Pembroke on Saturday.
The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Spencer Faulkner led off with a single and stole second. He moved to third on a passed ball and scored when Ethan Ott was caught trying to steal second.
Shepherd scored three runs in the fourth to take a 3-1 advantage. Redshirt-sophomore outfielder Sam Daggers (Galloway, N.J./Absegami/Rowan Gloucester CC) walked and moved to second on a single by graduate student infielder Connor Dewees (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion). Daggers scored on a single by graduate student catcher Andrew Edwards (Alexandria, Va./West Potomac). Dewees scored when senior infielder Cole Daugherty (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion) reached on an error. Edwards later scored when junior outfielder Idris Carter (Uniondale, N.Y./Roosevelt/Stony Brook) reached on an error.
The Braves added a run in the sixth as Kody O'Connor walked and later scored on a ground out by Blake Hinson to cut the lead to 3-2.
The Rams added a run in the seventh to take a 4-2 lead. Senior first baseman Ross Mulhall (Morgantown, W.Va./University/Gardner-Webb) led off with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Dewees.
The Braves got a run in the seventh on an RBI single by Joey Rezek to cut the lead to 4-3.
Shepherd added a pair of runs in the eighth. Daugherty walked and later scored on a passed ball, while Carter doubled and later scored on a wild pitch.
Christian Jayne went 3-for-5 to lead the Braves.
Senior pitcher Tanner Dixon (Frederick, Md./Frederick) (3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 6 K, 3 BB) (1-0) earned the win for the Rams. Redshirt-freshman pitcher Nate Mikulski (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 K, 0 BB) gained the save. Branden Kunz (4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 7 K, 5 BB) (2-1) took the loss for the Braves.
The two teams are slated to conclude their series on Sunday with a noon game at UNC Pembroke.
