April 19, 2008

Central, S.C. - After the longest game of the season for the Hawks baseball team, Shorter lost to the Southern Wesleyan Warriors, 7-6, in a marathon 16-inning game.

In the first inning, the Hawks struck first as Brandon Ponder scored to make the game 1-0.

After Southern Wesleyan scored a run in the second, third, and fourth innings to take the 3-1 lead, Shorter scored two runs in both the eighth and ninth innings. Ryan Murphy doubled with two outs in the eighth, and scored on a Mark Charrette single. Charrette scored on an error to tie the game at three.

In the ninth, Ibrahim Lopez hit a solo home run to start things out, and the Hawks added one more on a Murphy RBI single scoring Dustan Cantrell, to make the game 5-3.

Southern Wesleyan's two runs in the bottom of the inning, sent the game into what would be a marathon of a game for the nine seniors in the Hawks' line-up.

In the top of the sixteenth inning, a run finally made it across the plate. Brandon Ponder reached on a walk, advanced on a stolen base and a sacrifice bunt from Murphy, and scored on a Charrette single to give Shorter the 6-5 lead.

Two runs in the same inning for Southern Wesleyan, put the Warrior ahead for the 7-6 win.

Charrette and Lopez were both 3-for-8, and Cantrell was 3-for-5.

Alexis Fortis picked up the loss in relief.

The Shorter Hawks baseball team finish their season 16-33, 5-22 in the SSAC.