ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – After erupting for 27 runs on Friday night, the Carolina University baseball team carried its offensive momentum into Saturday, February 21, completing a doubleheader sweep of Mid-Atlantic Christian University. The Bruins secured an 8-6 comeback victory in game one before closing out the afternoon with a dominant 8-0 shutout in game two.
The sweep marks Carolina's first weekend series sweep since April 19-20, 2024, against Toccoa Falls.
Game One: Bruins Rally Late for 8-6 Victory
Carolina (5-5) wasted no time getting on the board in the opener as Chandler Smithart launched a leadoff home run in the top of the first inning. However, the Mustangs responded and built a 6-1 advantage through four innings.
The Bruins answered in a big way in the fifth inning, plating five runs to even the score at 6-6. Daniel Gonzalez sparked the rally with an RBI double before Alexis Fontanez and Ty Vespe added key RBI singles. DJ Biggers delivered a clutch two-run single to cap the inning and tie the contest.
Carolina pushed across the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, highlighted by aggressive baserunning and timely hitting, before adding an insurance run to seal the 8-6 win.
Tanner Buteau earned the win in relief (2-0), tossing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts, while Abraham Leal secured the save with a shutout seventh inning.
Offensively, Smithart finished 2-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored, while Vespe and Biggers each drove in key runs during the comeback effort.
Game Two: Gribble, Bruins Blank Mustangs 8-0
The Bruins (6-5) carried their momentum into game two, combining disciplined offense with dominant pitching to complete the sweep.
Carolina broke through in the second inning, capitalizing on Mustang miscues to take a 2-0 lead. The Bruins steadily added to their advantage, scoring in five different innings.
Ty Vespe delivered a standout performance at the plate, going 4-for-4 with three runs scored and a double. Peyton Banks added a two-RBI double, while the Bruins utilized aggressive baserunning to manufacture additional runs throughout the contest.
On the mound, Cameron Gribble was outstanding, throwing six scoreless innings while allowing just three hits and striking out 10 to earn his first win of the season (1-1). Landon Johnson closed out the seventh inning to preserve the shutout.
From the Dugout
Associate Head Coach Logan Conklin praised his team's resilience and execution throughout the weekend.
"I'm really proud of how our guys competed today," said Conklin. "Game one showed a lot of toughness — being down early and responding the way we did speaks to the growth of this group. In game two, we played complete baseball. We threw strikes, played clean defense, and applied pressure offensively. That's the standard we're working toward every day."
Carolina University returns to action on Tuesday, February 24, as the Bruins travel to Averett University for a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m.
