Eagen fuels PC bid for Big South’s top seed


Daniel Eagen just missed a no-hitter (PC photo).
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On Friday, beginning at 11 a.m. at Elton Pollock Field, Presbyterian takes on UNCA Asheville in a doubleheader that could give the Blue Hose the Big South regular-season baseball title.

Entering the final two games, Presbyterian (27-25) and High Point (30-24) are tied at 16-6 in the conference. The Blue Hose ace, Daniel Eagen, nearly no-hit UNC Asheville in a 17-0 whitewash on Thursday. High Point defeated Gardner-Webb, 3-2, on its home field.

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With weather threatening, PC opted to play two games on Friday. High Point rescheduled its remaining two games with consecutive morning starts, Friday at 11 a.m. and Saturday at 10 in High Point.

USC Upstate (33-21, 16-8) is in the clubhouse. As regards seedings for the Big South Tournament, May 23-25 in High Point, PC and High Point are tied, a game ahead of Upstate, two up in the loss column. High Point won the season series with PC, which won the series against Upstate. High Point also won the series against the Spartans.

The Blue Hose made their bid rather emphatic with the romp past UNC Asheville (22-26, 10-12), which is in a race with Charleston Southern (20-29, 11-11) for the fourth and final tournament seed.

Head coach Elton Pollock called Eagan’s performance “arguably the most electric pitching performance during my tenure at PC.”

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The junior from Fuquay-Varina, N.C., limited the Bulldogs to two walks for 8-2/3 innings. One out away from a no-hitter when UNCA pinch-hitter Sam Gallardo doubled to center field. Pollock then brought in Jeffrey Hays to record the final out.

Eagen struck out nine.

Offensively, the Blue Hose accelerated as the game progressed, scoring single runs in the second and third innings, two in the fifth, one in the sixth, seven in the seventh and five in the eighth.

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PC’s 16 hits included doubles by Joel Dragoo and Eli Lazio and home runs by Dragoo and Jack Gorman. Dragoo and Noah Lebron each collected three hits. Jay Wetherington, Brody Fahr and Gorman all had two.

Nick Bruno (L, 0-4) gave up four runs in four innings. Three Asheville successors gave up a minimum of two. In addition to giving up 16 hits, Bulldogs hurlers walked six, hit three and uncorked two wild pitches.

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It was PC’s largest margin of victory in a shutout as a member of Division I (2008-present).

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Two PC seniors, cross country’s William Johnson and soccer’s Lorenzo Nagy, are recipients of the George A. Christenbery Award for Academic Excellence from the Big South Conference.

Four other athletes from the conference also won the award, given to male and female athletes who attain the highest grade point averages during their undergraduate collegiate careers.

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Six student-athletes from the league were so honored.

Big South members nominate one male and one female undergraduate for the award, or multiple student-athletes that tie for the highest GPA on their respective campuses.

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Johnson, from Lexington, graduated from Presbyterian last Saturday finished his college career with a 4.0 GPA with a double major in history and biochemistry.

Nagy, from Kecskemet, Hungary, had 4.0 in biology with a minor in chemistry.

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