Port Charlotte, Fla. – March 4, 2010 – The Heidelberg University baseball team, under the guidance of 11th-year head coach Matt Palm, closed out a two-game series against North Carolina Wesleyan University with an 8-1 win. A day earlier the Berg topped the Battling Bishops 12-3 to stand at 2-0 thus far at the 2010 Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla.
Heidelberg broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning. Ricardo Lizcano (Toledo, Ohio / Roy C. Start) started the inning off with a double to right center field followed by a single to center field by Gar Keen (Sparta, Ohio / Highland). Willie Brechun (Canton, Ohio / Central Catholic) stepped up to the plate to knock in Lizcano for what would prove to be the eventual game-winning run. Heidelberg added two more runs, all unearned, in the inning to hold a 4-1 lead.
After two scoreless innings on both sides, the Berg came alive in its last at bat, scoring four runs off of two hits and two Battling Bishop miscues to extend its final margin of victory to 8-1.
Heidelberg had four hitters combine for 10 hits on the day, while right-hander starter Nathan James (Rockport, Ind. / South Spencer) held the Battling Bishops to just three hits, and the trio of Brandon Stucky (Medina, Ohio / Medina), Daniel Brannum (Jamestown, Ohio / Greeneview) and Ross Pruitt (Elletsville, Ind. / Edgewood)worked together to not allow a hit in the final two innings. James picked up his first win on the mound, striking out a career-best six batters in the process.
At the plate, Lizcano went 3-for-4 with a double and a triple, while scoring three times and knocking in one run to lead the Berg. Keen added three hits of his own, two runs scored and an RBI. Rounding out Heidelberg’s offense was Brechun and Derek Andrzejczak (Sylvania, Ohio / Sylvania Northview) with two hits apiece.