SMC Falls to No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan, 20-7
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tennessee Wesleyan | 8 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 11 | 2 |
|
Spartanburg Methodist | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 5 |
For the fifth-straight game to open the 2026 season, the Spartanburg Methodist College baseball team found itself behind. However, unlike the previous four games, the Pioneers were unable to mount a comeback as they dropped a 20-7 decision to No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan.
The Bulldogs (8-0) were able to plate eight runs in the first—highlighted by a three-run home run by Josh Shelly and a solo shot by Ethan Wright—to jump out to an early lead. The Pioneers (4-1) cut into the deficit with two runs each in the first two innings to make it an 8-4 contest.
TWU responded by spoiling any comeback hopes with a seven-run third inning. Shelly finished the game going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI; Wright went 2-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored; and Brayan Espinoza went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and a team-best five RBI in the win.
SMC recorded its fourth double-digit hit game of the season, finishing with 11 hits against the top-ranked Bulldogs. Dario Astudillo, Blake Exizian, and Matt Smith recorded two hits apiece, with Smith adding three RBIs to lead the Pioneers.
Next, SMC will travel to Tifton, Georgia, for a three-game, non-conference series against Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC). The series gets underway with a doubleheader on Friday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m., followed by the series finale on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 1 p.m.
