The Maryville College baseball team concluded their 2015 season with a double-header split at the USA South Spring Festival in Rocky Mount, North Carolina on Saturday evening. The Scots fell to Averett University 6-4 in the morning before defeating the Cougars 8-0 in a rain-shortened nightcap.
The Scots' finish the season 25-14 overall after going 18-12 in USA South action. The 18 conference wins is the most since joining the league. It is also their highest baseball finish within the USA South standings.
During the 6-4 loss, Averett's pitching staff led by T.J. Viracola held the Scots to only five hits and three earned runs. MC's John McDermott finished 2-for-4 with an RBI while Nick Dean, Zack Blonder, and Jacob Frost recorded MC only additional hits. Maryville's Jeremy Ibarra (5-4) suffered the loss after surrendering nine Averett hits and three earned runs in 6.2 innings of work.
In the season finale, Maryville's bats came alive pounding out a 12-hit attack. Evan Heffner (5-0) earned the win in relief of Lawson Wishard. Wishard tossed four innings of shutout baseball surrendering only a pair of hits. Heffner worked three innings striking out a pair while allowing only one hit.
Maryville's offense was paced by David Shiplett's 3-for-5 evening. The centerfielder led the game with three RBI. Logan Jenkins, John McDermott and Chris Hamilton each added a pair of hits to push MC's eight runs across the plate.
