Gaston College completes three-game sweep of Wake Tech

After a Saturday that coach Shon Doty described as "surreal" and "euphoric," Gaston College came out focused for the third game of a weekend series against Region 10 Division II rival Wake Tech.

And the Rhinos improved their West Division-leading record to 17-1 (26-1 overall) with an 11-1 victory over the Eagles Sunday at Sims Legion Park to complete the series sweep.

A day earlier, Gaston College defeated Wake Tech 9-0 and 6-2 amid festivities that marked the re-opening of park as the Rhinos' permanent home, a day that featured the introduction of the team mascot "Mo the Rhino" and the throwing out of the ceremonial first pitch by college president Dr. John Hauser.

"I was a bit concerned about how our guys would come out, but they came out ready to go from the jump," Doty said. "We got on them early, and we have shown that propensity to smell the finish. If they have a chance to end the game, they do it."

Wake Tech (16-16, 8-10) took the early lead on a second-inning solo home run by Tyler Sellers, but the Rhinos answered with four runs in the bottom half of that inning and steadily pulled away.

The Rhinos scored in a variety of ways, using clutch extra-base hitting, bunts, double steals and aggressive baserunning to take control of the game.

"We moved the ball when we needed to score runs," Doty said. "Offensively, we were back to what we have been all year."

Gaston College swiped seven bases for the game, including double steals of second and home in the third and four innings. Wade Kelly and Chandler Riley had two steals each.

In the Rhinos' four-run second inning, Konni Durschlag singled to center to drive in two runs, and Ahmer Cornier followed with a two-run homer to left to put Gaston ahead to stay.

In the third, Kelly stole home on a delayed double steal and Riley bunted for a hit to plate another. Enrique Wood and Kelly collected RBI singles in the fourth as Gaston extended its lead to 9-1.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Rhinos ended the game with two more runs as Kelly tripled into the left field corner and scored, and Hayden Brandon came home on a wild pitch.

Leading Gaston's 12-hit attack were Kelly (2-for-4, triple, RBI), Cournier (1-for-2, home run, two RBIs), J. D. Yakubinis (two hits), and Pierson Gunnell (two hits).

Hunter Shew picked up the win on the mound with four innings of work, his longest stint of the season. Shew gave up three hits, struck out five and walked three.

Thanks to a sparkling double play by third baseman Riley and first baseman Cournier, Shew got out of a jam in the fourth with runners at first and second and one out.

Riley snared Christian Schmidt's hard grounder, stepped on third for the force and threw to first on a bounce to complete the double play. Cournier executed a full stretch to scoop up Riley's throw.

"That was a huge play in the game because they had a little bit of momentum there," Doty said. "Chandler makes a great play and then Ahmir has an even better stretch. When you are playing well, those things happen."

The Rhinos, ranked in the top eight of all three National Junior College Athletic Association polls, return to action Wednesday with a home
doubleheader against Spartanburg Methodist (4 p.m. start).