MURFREESBORO, N.C. – Shepherd University (3-0) swept Chowan University (0-3) in baseball doubleheader action at Chowan on Tuesday afternoon. The Rams gained a 15-10 win in the opener and added a 9-4 triumph in the nightcap.
Shepherd took a 2-0 lead in the first inning in game one when redshirt junior outfielder Bodie Pullen (Winchester, Va./James Wood) reached on a walk and later scored on a double steal from third when redshirt sophomore Infielder Ryan Fluharty (Burton, W.Va./Morgantown/USC Upstate) stole second. Fluharty later scored on a double off the bat of sophomore designated hitter Colin Ahart (Pennsauken, N.J./St. Joseph Academy).
Chowan cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the first first when Ty Boze doubled and later scored on a sacrifice bunt from Josh Tripp.
The Rams took a 6-1 lead in with four runs in the second. Freshman outfielder Alex Rose (Oakton, Va./Oakton) keyed the rally with a two-run homer.
Shepherd took a 7-1 lead in the third when redshirt junior shortstop Ethan Burgreen (Winchester, Va./Millbrook) walked and later scored sacrifice-fly from Pullen.
The Hawks cut the lead to 7-4 with three runs in the bottom of the third. Boze reached on a walk and later scored on a double from Peyton Clay. Ahmaad Goldson added a two-run triple.
The Rams plated one in the fourth when redshirt junior outfielder Ethan Jones (Oakton, Va./Oakton) was hit by pitch and later scored on a throwing error.
Chowan added three in the bottom of fourth highlighted by a two-run RBI from KJ Durand to cut the lead to 8-7.
The Hawks took a 9-8 lead in the bottom of the fifth behind a sacrifice-fly from Josh Tripp and an RBI-single from Clay.
Shepherd scored four in the sixth inning to take a 12-9 lead. Burgeen and junior infielder Braylon Conner (Hedgesville, W.Va./Hedgesville/Hagerstown CC) each drove in a run.
Chowan plated a run in the bottom of the sixth on a run-scoring single from Howard.
The Rams capped the scoring with three runs in the seventh. Jones had a two-run double and later scored on a wild pitch.
Jones went 1-for-3 with two RBI and three runs to pace the Rams.
Boze went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs for the Hawks.
Redshirt junior pitcher Jesse Specter (Woolwich Township, N.J./Moorestown/West Chester) (1.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2, 0 BB) (1-0) earned the win. Tristan Stancil (2.1 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 0, 1 BB) (0-1) took the loss.
In the first inning of the nightcap the Rams took a 3-0 lead when Fluharty doubled, senior first baseman Nik Rubendall (East Norriton, Pa./Pope John Paul II) walked, and they both scored later on an Ahart single. Rubendall later scored on a double from Jones.
Shepherd plated three more runs in the second to take a 6-0 leadwith a two-run double from Fluharty keying the rally.
Chowan cut the lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the second on a Colin Gifford RBI-single and Jordan Turner singled and later scored when Boze was hit by a pitch.
The Rams took a 9-2 lead when junior third baseman Nathaniel Brookshire (Winchester, Va./Millbrook) reached on an error and later scored on an error. Pullen walked and later scored on a Rubendall double. Fluharty reached on an error and later scored on a wild pitch.
The Hawks scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth when Jacob Walker hit an RBI-single and later scored on an error.
Fluharty went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored to pace the Rams.
Boze went 1-for-3 and drove in four runs for the Hawks.
Junior pitcher Tre Rex (Barnesville, Ohio/Harrison Central/Akron) (3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 8 K, 0 BB) (1-0) earned the win. Josh Tripp (2.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 K, 3 BB) (0-1) took the loss.
The Rams return to action on Saturday when they face Holy Family at 11 a.m.
