Blue Eagles Split Doubleheader With Lake Norman
Web Posted June 26, 2010

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - A late-innings rally fell short in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday, while late-game heroics propelled the Spartanburg Blue Eagles to a dramatic win in the opener.

A walk-off single by Aaron Preston in the eighth inning gave the Blue Eagles a 5-4 win, but Spartanburg was unable to complete the sweep, losing the second game 6-5 despite a furious comeback.

In Game 1, the Blue Eagles scored four runs, all unearned, in a disastrous third inning for Lake Norman. Two Copperhead errors, a base hit from Aaron Preston, and Dylan Cole’s booming double gave Spartanburg a 4-2 lead.

A Lake Norman home run knotted the game at 4 in the fourth inning, and neither team could push another run across until the first extra frame.

Walks to Brody Greer and Alex Dozier set up a sacrifice bunt by Boiling Springs product Josh Pless. After an intentional walk to Jaren Sustar, Preston delivered a single into right-center to seal a dramatic win for Spartanburg.

Preston paced the Blue Eagles offensively, going 2-for 4. Josh Pless was 1-for-3 with a key sacrifice bunt. Anthony Rowland and winning pitcher David Mullins combined for 3 1/3 innings of relief, giving up just 1 hit and striking out 3 while walking none.

The second game saw Lake Norman take advantage of four Blue Eagles errors to push across six runs in the first four frames. Anthony Rowland pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, giving up just three hits and recording one strikeout.

Spartanburg rallied in a four-run sixth inning, collecting only one hit but again taking advantage of free passes. Lake Norman pitchers issued three walks in the inning and hit Aaron Preston, extending Preston’s streak of seven consecutive plate appearances in which he reached base. But Spartanburg was unable to tie the game and could not put together a seventh-inning rally.

Preston again had a quality game offensively, going 1-for-3 but reaching base in all four plate appearances. Jaren Sustar was 3-for-4 at the plate with 2 singles, a double, and a run scored.

Spartanburg next plays on Monday night at 7:00 against the Asheville Redbirds. Piedmont Blood Center is sponsoring a blood drive in the Russell C. King Field parking lot from 5:30-8:30 in conjunction with the game.