By MONTE DUTTON

I’m torn two ways on the issue of percentages. If a baseball batter faces a pitcher five times, and he doesn’t get a hit, does that mean he’s hopelessly overmatched, or does it mean that he’s due?

If it gets beyond that – if it reaches enough at-bats an expert would deem statistically significant – conclusions may be drawn.

I’m watching the Presbyterian-Longwood game on “streaming” right now. The Blue Hose left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning. This is the 12^th time this season PC has played one opponent three consecutive times, and the Blue Hose lost the third game of those series the first 11 times.

Why am I watching? Because I have become fascinated with this minute phenomenon.

I want PC to do better. Really. I do. Like most people in Clinton, until recently, I have followed the Blue Hose all my life. One reason is that Cally Gault’s late son was in school with me from first grade all the way through high school.

Presbyterian has taken a 3-0 lead. Brody Fahr, the splendid shortstop, is running the bases with abandon. What could possibly go wrong?

The Blue Hose have no room for error in order to qualify for the Big South tournament, which is open only to the top four teams. A loss gives Longwood the series and ties the Lancers with PC, which began the day tied for sixth. The Blue Hose began the day two games out of a tie for fourth. Next week offers a three-game visit to the conference doormat, Radford (9-43, 1-23).

There’s hope. Flickering hope, but hope.

Longwood tied it, 3-3, in the top of the fifth. Presbyterian just regained the lead on a close play at the plate and then a rundown between first and second that facilitated another run.

The Lancers took the lead in a series of hits, hit batters and walks. PC tied it again, 6-6, in the bottom of the seventh but left the bases loaded again.

A bases-loaded walk issued by the embattled Blue Hose bullpen put the Lancers back ahead in the eighth inning.

And away they went, winning, 12-6. The season – at least, in terms of making the tournament as a modest measure – went with it. It’s a shame to have three games with Radford and nothing to do with them.

Fahr, a junior from Greer, matched a career best with four hits. He has 72 this year, 19 more than anyone else but too many in vain.

The football team has lost 10 games in a row. Men’s basketball has dropped 18 straight. The softball team won its first 12 games, then went 13-22 the rest of the way.

With the notable exception of a championship men’s tennis team, and a 10-5-2 men’s soccer record, PC is only competitive in sports in which few compete. Until late in the season, news releases claimed that acrobatics-and-tumbling was ranked 14^th in, presumably, the nation.

The team’s record was 0-7.

Once, when PC was rumored to be dropping football, Gault stood up in front of the faculty senate – or some such body that existed in 1964 – and told them if the sport wasn’t a vibrant part of the academic process, it ought to be dropped.

It’s not enough to just have an athletics program. Playing it successfully – or at least competitively – is what matters.

Longwood (22-29, 10-14 BSC) and Presbyterian (19-33, 10-14) are going nowhere this year.

The slogan of the Big South is “Where Winners Are Made.”

Not at the moment in Clinton.