Bel Air, MD- Joel Spishock hit a pair of home runs to lead Potomac State College to a 10-5 win over Spartanburg Methodist in the opening game of the Eastern District Tournament.
Spishock hit a solo home run in the fifth inning and a grand slam in the seventh inning to pace the offensive attack for PSC.
Austin Chavis and Dale Houser also homered for the Catamounts who had fifteen hits on the day.
Each of the runs for Spartanburg Methodist came courtesy of the long ball. Donald Hansis hit a pair of home runs and Dosi Jonas and Kobe Phillips each added a solo shot.
PSC starter Brandon Schaeffer was able to keep the Pioneer hitters off balance as the southpaw struck out nine and walked none in 8 2/3 innings of work. He improved his record to 7-1.
PSC struck first in the third inning when Hayden Almond singled with one out and then Chavis hit his home run for a 2-0 lead.
Jonas homered for SMC in the bottom of the 3rd to cut the lead to 2-1.
An RBI single from Austin Martin in the fourth increased the lead to 3-1 and Spishock’s solo home run in the fifth extended the lead to 4-1.
The Pioneers cut the lead in half with Hansis’ first home run of the game in the fifth.
The seventh inning proved to be the difference for the Catamounts as they pushed across five runs. Martin opened the inning with a single and then back-to-back bunt hits by Almond and Chavis to load the bases setting the table for Spishock.
Spishock’s grand slam cleared the bases and gave PSC an 8-2 lead. The Catamounts added another when Pete Costigan was hit by a pitch, moved to third on a double from Foster Conis and then scored on a wild pitch.
Houser’s ninth inning home run provided some breathing room for PSC as SMC pushed across three runs on the home runs from Hansis and Phillips.
With the win, Potomac State improves to 32-11 and will face Monroe College on Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. Monroe defeated the host Harford Community College Owls 14-2 on Friday evening.