No. 2 Gaston College sweeps No. 3-ranked team to win Region 10 series

The reality was equal to the hype of the four-game Florence-Darlington Tech at Gaston College Region 10 baseball series this weekend.

The host Rhinos, ranked No. 2 in the National Junior College Athletic Association poll, rolled to a 9-0 win in Saturday's opener before the visiting No. 4-ranked Stingers evened the series with a 10-7 win in the nightcap.

On Monday, shortly after this week's polls left Gaston College No. 2 with Florence-Darlington Tech moving up to No. 3, the Rhinos took a pair of dramatic victories to sweep a doubleheader by 4-3 and 5-4 scores to win the series three games to one.

"We knew it was going to be a great series," Rhinos head coach Shohn Doty said. "They've got a great team. I was talking to (Florence-Darlington Tech head coach) Preston (McDonald) after the game and it's a crying shame that we've got to go after each other two weeks from now with only one of us moving on.
"We're two of the top teams in the country and one of us isn't going to be playing two weeks from now."

Gaston College is 47-6 overall and 20-4 in Region 10 after the four-game series while Florence-Darlington Tech (44-9, 21-3) clinched its fourth straight Region 10 regular season championship with the win in Saturday's nightcap.

In Saturday's opener, the Rhinos scored four times in the first inning on Andrew Muraco's one-out solo home run and Brandon Crabtree's two-out three-run home run. Gaston College added one run in the fourth on Jackson Berini's RBI single and four more in the sixth on Berini's bases-loaded walk, Caleb Estes' two-run single and Trent Murchison's RBI groundout.

Starter and winner Mason Smith went three innings with four strikeouts before being replaced after a one-hour rain delay. Relievers Gabe Hernandez (3 innings) and Clayton Sherwood (1 inning) finished up the shutout.

In Saturday's nightcap, the visiting Stingers scored the game's first five runs and led 7-2 before Gaston College rallied within 7-3 and 10-7.

Murchison (2 hits, 2 RBIs), Trevor Lucas (2 hits, home run, 3 RBIs) and Estes (2 hits, 1 RBI) led the Rhinos' offense.

On Monday, the visiting Stingers scored first before Gaston College scored the next four runs and the Rhinos stopped a late rally with a game-ending double play.

Freddie Oliver's leadoff triple in the second was turned into a tying run on Muraco's sacrifice fly. Back-to-back infielder grounders by Crabtree and Berini drove in the two fourth-inning runs that were set up by Oliver's double. And Muraco had a leadoff double in the sixth and scored on Estes' double for the 4-1 lead.

With the Stingers within 4-3 and threatening with runners on second and third base, reliever Clayton Sherwood started a game-ending double play by throwing to Oliver at first base for the first out and Oliver's throw home to Christmas for the second out.

Oliver (triple, double, RBI) and Estes (2 hits, double, RBI) led the offense and Landon Carr (5 1/3 innings, 3 strikeouts) picked up the win and Sherwood (1 inning) the save.

In Monday's nightcap, the Stingers roared ahead 4-0 after 3 1/2 innings before Gaston College began their comeback.

The Rhinos scored twice in the fourth and three times with two outs in the fifth capped by home runs from Seth Christmas and Ben Karpowicz on back-to-back swings.

"We've never lost a series at Sims," Doty said. "And we take a lot of pride in that and that streak continues. I can't say enough about our guys."

Karpowicz (2 hits, home run, 1 RBI), Andrew Muraco (2 hits, 1 RBI) and Christmas (2-run home run) led the offense and starter Connor Frail (3 2/3 innings) and relievers J.J. DeVos (2 1/3 innings) and Gabe Hernandez (1 inning) combined to shutout Florence-Darlington Tech for the last three innings.

"When you're down 4-0, you have to have somebody that can give you three or four zeroes," Doty said. "And J.J. was phenomenal in that role. And then Gabe was just outstanding."

Doty also had high praise for his defense, which turned two double plays in each game.

The Rhinos close their regular season on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Gastonia's Sims Legion Park when they hold "Sophomore Day" ceremonies before playing Lincolnton's Combine Academy.