BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- The Bridgewater College baseball team fell 5-4 to N.C. Wesleyan at home on Saturday afternoon.

THE BASICS
Final Score: N.C. Wesleyan 5, Bridgewater 4
Records: Bridgewater 0-2, N.C. Wesleyan 2-0

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Much like in the opening game of the series on Friday, the Battling Bishops quickly got on the board in the first inning Tyson Bass took the first pitch of the game deep into right field for a lead-off, stand-up double. He moved to third after a ground out and crossed home plate on a sac fly by Jackson Hobbs, 1-0.
• Bridgewater tried to respond in the second inning after getting two runners on following a walk for Collin Reid and a base hit up the middle by Jonathan Sexton, but both were stranded as NCWU held on to a 1-0 lead.
• Facing a new pitcher in the fifth inning, the Bishops got on the board again as Javier Quintana reached on a fielder's choice and got to third following a failed pickoff. He scored on an RBI single by Bass, who also scored on a two-run double by Davie Mogan. The Eagles tried to turn two on a grounder to short, but could not complete it as the Bishops scored once more to assume a 5-0 lead. 
• In the late innings, Bridgewater made it a close one as Sexton reached after getting hit by a pitch. Kyle Carlson stroked a single through the left side of the infield and Jarret Biesecker followed with an RBI single to score Sexton, 5-1. Hunter Clever added another run with an RBI base knock to score Carlson, 5-2. On the following at-bat, a balk was called after the Bishops attempted a hidden ball trick allowing Biesecker to cross home plate, 5-3. Bridgewater scored one more after a wild pitch was thrown following the balk to allow Jeffrey Snider to score after he walked earlier in the frame. 
• The Eagles made it interesting again in the bottom of the ninth inning after Brett Tharp reached after being hit by a pitch. He took second on a wild pitch and third on another balk. With Tharp on third, Snider chopped a grounder to first that was bobbled by Hobbs. He was able to recover and throw over to the pitcher covering the bag to beat Snider to the base to end the game.

GAME FACTS

• Biesecker led the Eagles with a pair of hits and also scored a run and drove in one. 
• Clever also had an RBI, while Snider and Carlson scored the runs for BC.
• For the Battling Bishops, Luke Chung went 3-for-4 at the dish and scored once, while Morgan tallied a pair of hits and two RBI. Bass also had two hits and crossed home plate twice. Jean Lagreca was the fourth player to record multiple hits for the visitors. 
• Reid Long (0-1) started on the bump for Bridgewater and went 4.0 innings scattering three hits and yielding one earned run. He struck out three batters and walked two. Nick Griffin tossed 3.0 innings of relief, while Tharp closed out the game with 2.0 scoreless innings on two hits with a pair of strikeouts. 
• Payten Stolsworth went 5.0 strong innings in the start, holding the Eagles scoreless on four hits with eight strikeouts compared to just two walks. Cord Butler allowed four runs on three hits in 2.0 innings of relief. Hunter Hill pitched a perfect 1.0 inning as he struck out the side in the eighth followed by Clayton Gilmore who picked up his first save of the season after holding BC off the board in the ninth.

UP NEXT
Bridgewater returns to the diamond next Saturday, Feb. 18, with a doubleheader against McDaniel set to start at 11 am at the Bridgewater Baseball Field.