Berry's Trent Hillis tossed six no-hit innings before finally allowing a single in the seventh inning as Berry defeated Greensboro 5-0 in the second game of a season opening twin bill at Berry's William R. Bowdoin Field Saturday.

The Vikings won the opener 9-8 when Brandyn Jackson drew a bases-loaded walk in the final ending to cap a wild comeback from an 8-2 deficit.

But even after the excitement of the first game, Hillis (1-0) made the day about him with his performance on the mound in the late game.

The righthander allowed just three base runners in the game, and nobody advanced past first base until the seventh inning.  After allowing a leadoff walk to the Pride's Brian Robbett in the third, Hillis struck out the next batter, then picked Robbett off first base.

The only other Greensboro baserunner in the first six innings came in the fifth, when Hillis walked James Feldman, only to induce a 6-4-3 double play out of the next batter.

Greensboro finally picked up their first hit when Bill Wooding recorded a solid single to lead off the seventh inning. Wooding would eventually get as far as third base on a pair of ground ball outs, but that was as far as he would go. 

Hillis fanned five batters in the seven inning game.

Meanwhile, Thomas Johnson picked up a pair of runs batted in with a triple in the first inning, and Stephen Gaylor went 2-for-4 to lead Berry's offensive attack.

Greensboro starter John Atkins (0-1) took the loss.  Atkins allowed three runs (two earned) n six hits in five innings of work.  He struck out three batters and walked one.

In the first game, Greensboro led 8-2 after it batted in the fifth inning, but the Vikings would start their rally in the bottom of that frame when Gaylor scored on a passed ball.

Berry would add three runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings to secure the win. 

Preston Neely started the scoring in the sixth with an RBI double to left center that pushed home Zach Farmer, who doubled earlier in the inning. After Jackson was hit by a pitch, Gaylor singled up the middle to score Drew McDuffie. Greensboro centerfielder Matt Irwin bobbled the ball after Gaylor's hit, and Neely took advantage, racing home on the play.

All three sixth-inning runs came with two outs.

After Christian Champion retired the Greensboro side in the seventh, Berry's Austin Neely led off the bottom of the inning with a walk. Johnson followed with a single to put runners on first and second base, and they each advanced a bag on a passed ball.

With first base open, Greensboro head coach Matt Aker then elected to walk the potential winning run in Farmer, who was then lifted for pinch runner Sam Williamson.

The next batter, Cason Dremann, would drive in a run with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Austin Neely, and moving Johnson to third.  McDuffie followed with a run-scoring single that plated Johnson and tied the score.  Preston Neely than singled to centerfield to load the bases and set up Jackson's game winning base on balls that pushed home Williamson from third.

Gaylor led the Vikings with three hits in his Berry debut, while Johnson, Farmer and Preston Neely all had two apiece.

Wooding was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Seth Caison went 2-for-4 to lead Greensboro.

Champion (1-0) earned the victory in his collegiate debut. Champion tossed three shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk.

He was the third Berry pitcher in the game, following Casey Gray and Jonathan Stump. Gray allowed six runs (five earned) in 2.2 innings and Stump allowed a pair of unearned runs in 1.1 innings.

Grant Kelley (0-1) was saddled with the loss for the Pride after allowing three runs on three hits and three walks in two-thirds of an inning. 

- BerryVikings.com -