KANNAPOLIS, N.C. - The Berry Baseball team took to cold temperatures in North Carolina to take on Swarthmore in day one of the D3 College Showcase, run ruling them 11-1 in eight innings.

Winning pitcher Jackson Halla posted a new career best 10 strikeouts in the game to hold Swarthmore to one run in the win.

It was a quiet first two innings with both pitchers putting on a show for the crowd in Kannapolis at the Cannon Ballers Stadium. The first hit came in the top of the third as a strong ball hit Garrett Lang at short stop and he saved it from traveling further. Swarthmore would catch the runner stealing the next at bat to shut any runs down.

Swarthmore found two more hits off Halla in the fourth but would strand those two runners as Halla struck out yet another batter.

The Vikings first hits came in the bottom of the fifth from singles by Charles Pulaski and Garrett Lang, but nothing would come of it as both teams headed to the sixth, scoreless.

In a great defensive game, someone was bound to crack at any moment. A walk and a double found the first run of the night for Swarthmore going up 1-0 before the Vikings headed to the plate. They answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning as three hits aided the offensive effort. 

Up 2-1, Nicholas Angelakos came in relief of Halla to finish it out. Berry had a huge offensive impact in the bottom of the seventh with 5 hits and 7 runs seeing three different Swarthmore pitchers on the mound.

The Vikings finally closed it out on four more runs in the eighth to run rule and take the game one win.

Berry continues action at the D3 College Showcase tomorrow at 7:00 PM ET against Pfeiffer.
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