Box Score The Maryville College Scots tied the school record for most wins in a season, while earning a spot in the USA South Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday.
Maryville won their second-straight game of the tournament, downing the No. 8-seeded Averett University, 14-10, on N.C. Wesleyan's Bauer Field.
The Scots are now just two wins away from what would be their first USA South Athletic Conference Tournament championship.
"It's exciting," Head Coach Cody Church said. "In an eight-team tournament, it's tough when you get in that loser's bracket early on. Last night, [Seth] Debity just pitched his tail off, and we played great defense. We just found a way to score enough runs. Today, our offense really carried us. That's good. That's a good sign when you can win multiple ways."
Maryville tied the school record for most wins in a season with their 28-13 mark in the 2016 season. Those 28 wins match that of the 21-year record of the 1995 squad. That team finished the year at 28-10.
However, for the 2016 Scots, their eye is on a championship.
"They're confident," Church said. "They can taste it. We're right where we need to be, for what that's worth. Tomorrow, we're a game away from a championship. We've just to keep playing good baseball."
Maryville struck first, plating three runs in the top of the second. Andrew Henry laced a two-RBI single to left to score Evan Ezell and Sam Jokerst, before Logan Jenkins used a sacrifice fly to score Clifton Dempsey for a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, they extended their lead to seven behind four runs. Zack Blonder drew a bases-loaded walk for an RBI to score Ezell, before Chris Ervin laced a bases-clearing, three-RBI double to left. Blonder, Johnny Carpenter and Jenkins scored on the play to give Maryville a 7-0 lead.
Jenkins found an RBI in the top of the fifth, scoring Ezell on a single to third. Dempsey managed a score off a throwing error on the play, as Maryville took a commanding 9-0 lead.
Averett came back in the bottom of the fifth, however, plating five runs. Drew Evans, Noah Greenblatt, Kyle Vidano and Hunter Ashworth each found RBI to pull the Cougars to within four, 9-5.
They added another run in the bottom of the seventh, as Vidano drew a walk. He stole both second and third, before scoring on a throwing error, 9-6.
Maryville again pulled away, though, in the top of the eighth. Blonder used an RBI double to center to score Carpenter, before Ervin followed suit with an RBI double of his own. Brendan Lawler found an RBI to score Malik Jackson for a 12-6 Maryville lead.
Averett added two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Greenblatt singled to left-center for an RBI to score Evans, while Vidano scored Trey Wall with a fielder's choice to short.
Maryville would drive the nail in the top of the ninth, as Robbie Young and Blonder each found RBIs to score Henry and Dempsey for a 14-8 lead.
The Cougars would add two more runs in the bottom of the ninth, but Maryville would take the win, 14-10, as Joe Jones closed the door.
The Scots were led by Ervin's 2-for-4, four-RBI day, while Blonder went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs. Jenkins was 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run, while Henry went 2-for-6 with a pair of RBI and a run scored. Ezell was 2-for-3 while plating three scores, while Dempsey matched his three runs with a 2-for-4 effort.
Averett (19-21) was paced by Vidano's 1-for-4 day, as he had three RBI and two runs. Greenblatt was 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run, while Evans and Wall each scored two runs.
Maryville advances to the semifinals and will play tomorrow, April 16, for a noon start in Wilson, N.C.
