By Matthew D. Stokes
BerryVikings.com Staff Writer

ROME, Ga. – Stephen Gaylor had three hits and Drew McDuffie drove in three runs as Berry exacted some revenge on Oglethorpe with a  9-4 victory in a Saturday afternoon game at William R. Bowdoin Field.

Less than 24 hours before, Oglethorpe defeated Berry 9-2 in Atlanta.

"Friday night we really got away from the little things, and it was a step backwards for us," Berry head coach David Beasley said. "We watched film this morning, and the guys saw what we were talking about."

The film session may have helped wake up the Vikings' bats early. After scoring a run in the second, Berry quickly pushed across four more in the third. McDuffie delivered the major blow, lining a two-run single into shallow center to give his team a 4-0 advantage. The Vikings would add single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, giving Berry starting pitcher TJ Page a comfortable 7-0 lead.

Page, making his first start of 2012, managed to toss five and a third scoreless innings before surrendering a one-out grand slam by Joseph Parillo. Oglethorpe's designated hitter's home run clanked off the left field foul pole, cutting the deficit to 7-4.

Page went six innings, allowing six hits and four runs (three earned). He struck out five batters without issuing a walk.

Page's replacement, Christian Champion, battled through two scoreless innings, receiving some help when leftfielder Brandyn Jackson dove to catch pinch hitter Casey Tuttle's sinking liner to left to end Oglethorpe's eighth. Two runners were stranded in the process.

Josh Dilbeck finished the game for Berry, working around a one-out single to induce a game-ending double play groundball.

In addition to Gaylor's three singles, Cason Dremann, Kevin Scott and McDuffie had two hits apiece.  Jake Spear recorded two hits for Oglethorpe while Parillo had three, including his bases-clearing roundtripper.

Oglethorpe starter Josh Morgan took the loss, pitching three innings and allowing five hits and five runs (four earned).

Berry will return to the diamond on Friday when it plays Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in California.

- BerryVikings.com -