Double Header Split vs. Statesville

7/7 Statesville, NC- Pioneers back to back double headers with a back to back split. Losing game one in a 5-4 battle, the Pioneers struggled through seven innings. Scoring only in the third and fourth, the battle wasn’t lost until the 7th. In the third, Adam Venditti manages a lead off home run, putting the Pioneers at a 1-0 lead at the end of three.
In the fourth with two on, Venditti takes a full swing and hits yet another bomb, his third this season! With a three run bomb, Pioneers take a 4-0 lead at the end of 3½.
Unfortunately, the Statesville Owls were not finished with the fight. Scoring one in the fourth and 4 in the sixth, Owls took the final lead, 5-4 at the end of sixth. Jeff Springs pitched an excellent 5 innings giving up 3 hits and one run and managing 9 Ks! Michael Curet suffered the loss pitching one inning giving up 4 runs on 3 hits. Owls’s pitcher Zach Hunneycutt earned the win after pitching 6 innings with a final 5-4 win.
In game two, the Pioneers fought back and won 7-4 after a full seven innings. Scoring evenly throughout the game, the run rally started in the second. With Anthony Dimino’s ninth double this season, the scoring begins. Matt Pelt reached on a single and Adam Venditti reached on error as Dimino crossed home plate. With a single by Brandon Wilt, Matt Pelt puts up another run. Adam Venditti scores on an RBI single by David Daniels and the Pioneers lead 3-0 at the end of two.
In the fourth, Pioneers put up 3 more runs! As Wilt walks on, Jonathan Stutts follows him on a single. With Thompson up to bat, Brandon Wilt scores on a wild pitch. Although Thompson suffered a strike out, David Daniels manages an RBI single scoring Stutts. As Diego Perez hits his 7th double this season, he scores David Daniels. The inning comes to a close and the Pioneers lead 6-0.
The Owls finally came to bat in the bottom of the fourth scoring 3 runs, however, Pioneers weren’t about to give up their lead. In the fifth, with a single and stolen base by Matt Pelt, he scores on a single by Adam Venditti. This will be the last run scored by the Pioneers this game and it was enough to earn the win. Owls score one more in the sixth and a scoreless inning in the seventh led to a Pioneers victory, 7-4.
Bryan DaCanal earned his third win this season as he threw 5+ innings, surrendering 8 hits, four runs, only one walk and 4 strikeouts. Taylor Thurber managed the save as he entered the 7th and allowed no hits and no runs. Pioneers continue to battle as they are in second place in their Southern Divison in the SCBL with a 17-13 record. They travel to Clemson to play the Carolina Chaos for a double header at 5pm on Monday, July 9th.