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Blue Eagles Walk Their Way Into A Win
Web Posted June 5, 2010

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Spartanburg Blue Eagles defeated the Carolina Chaos in game two of a doubleheader Saturday 8-5 to earn their first home victory of the season.

The Chaos took game one of the doubleheader 3-1 on account of a stellar pitching performance by Zachary Secoy. Game two appeared to be taking a similar pattern as Chaos starting pitcher Shane LeBlanc had a no hitter through three innings until Blue Eagle Alex Dozier laced a single into centerfield.

LeBlanc recovered though blanking the Blue Eagles for 4 innings. The Chaos led 5-0 and LeBlanc seemed unhittable after four. However, in the top of the fifth, he walked the first two hitters he faced, which led Chaos manager Nathan Swords to pull the South Alabama player in favor of Southern Wesleyan reliever Nate Williamson.

Williamson entered the game and proceeded to walk three straight Blue Eagles hitters. Williamson was jerked after the three walks for Lynchburg College’s Jordan Watkins. Watkin’s then hit a man and walked a man. The score stood was 5-4 Chaos when an error by Chaos first baseman Alex Riser led to two more Blue Eagle runs and a Blue Eagle lead, the first of the entire day. When the fifth inning came to a close, the Blue Eagles had scored 8 runs on account of one hit, one hit-by-pitch, two errors, and a staggering 6 walks.

Chaos manager Nathan Swords claims he has never seen anything like what he saw in the fifth inning ever before. “It’s something I’ve never experienced before, said Swords. “I’ve seen one guy struggle, but I’ve never seen two or three guys come in a game and not be able to find the plate like that”.

The Blue Eagles held on to the lead they were given as Wofford’s Anthony Rowland pitched a scoreless sixth, while USC Upstate’s Chris Knauff closed the game and recorded his first save of the summer season.

Blue Eagle assistant coach Anthony Dillenger was happy to split tonight considering the insinuating circumstances.

“To be down five to nothing in the bottom of the fifth inning and pull out a split with these guys, the way everything unfolded. I’ll take it,” said Dillenger. “It’s huge going into tomorrow, especially the way we bounced back. I’ve never seen anything like tonight. Little league, high school, it was wild. Hopefully we can go out tomorrow and sweep these guys.”

After today’s doubleheader, Spartanburg and Carolina both sit at 2-2 overall tied for third in the Western Division of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League.

The same two teams will face off again tomorrow in a doubleheader in Spartanburg. Game one begins at 5pm with game two beginning thirty minutes after the conclusion of game one.