Top-ranked Gaston College splits DH after setting school records in opening game victory

Top-ranked Gaston College sets multiple offensive records in the opener of its Region 10 doubleheader at USC Union on Saturday.

But, as head coach Shohn Doty said afterwards, what he and his team will remember more is the host Bantams' walkoff win in the nightcap that gained the home team a split.

"It's a shame because that first game offense was pretty incredible," said Doty, whose team won 31-11 in five innings in the opener before suffering a 5-4 loss. "Thirty one runs is really good. All the credit goes to the kids. We broke a lot of records but, at the end of the day, we're 1-1 today. And that's all that really matters."

The loss dropped Gaston College's record to 39-4 overall and 16-2 in Region 10 while No. 9-ranked Florence-Darlington Tech swept Spartanburg Methodist on Saturday to improve to 35-5, 14-0.

"We've got to bounce back tomorrow," Doty said. "We can still win the series. We've made life difficult for ourselves with Florence doing what they're doing."

In the opening win, three records were set - most runs (31) and most individual RBIs (7) and home runs (2) by Seth Christmas.

It was a game where the Rhinos scored nine runs in the first inning, two in the second, four in the third, 13 in the fourth and three in the fifth while collecting 20 hits (6 doubles, 5 home runs and 1 triple), 14 walks and four hit batters.

Twelve Gaston College players collected at least one hit led by Christmas, Trent Murchison (3 hits, 5 runs, double, 2 RBIs), Brandon Crabtree (3 hits, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs), Nathan Williams (2 hits, home run, 2 RBIs) and Andrew Muraco (2 hits, triple, 2 RBIs).

The previous record for runs came in a 24-2 win at Guilford Tech on March 22, 2023.

Christmas's seven RBIs broke a record previously shared by Wade Kelly (2022), Adam Quintero (2023) and Ben Karpowicz (twice this season). And his two home runs ties a record also held by Konni Durschlag (2022), 2 J.D. Yakubinis (twice in 2023), Freddie Oliver (2023), Adam Quintero (2023), Pierson Gunnell (2023), Wade Kelly (2023), Andrew Muraco (2023 and this season), Ben Karpowicz (twice this season), Caleb Estes (this season) and Freddie Oliver (this season).

In the nightcap, Oliver (2 hits, 2 RBIs) and Jackson Berini (pinch-hit RBI single) led the Rhinos' seven-hit offense.

The teams play another 1 p.m. doubleheader on Sunday to complete the four-game series.