In a battle Tuesday between ranked baseball teams in Division III, pitching carried No. 1 Buchanan to a doubleheader sweep over No. 4 Brandywine.

The Bucks won the opener, 6-0, and were victorious in game two, 6-1.

By winning both games, Buchanan claimed a share of the B.CS Athletic Conference West Division title with Brandywine. Both teams finished 6-2 in the division.

“It’s a great couple of wins for the program,” Buchanan baseball coach Lonnie Hoover said. “Last week, we took two from (previously unbeaten) Decatur and today we took two from a good Brandywine team and those wins means a lot.”

The Bucks got a two-hitter from starting pitcher Jarrett Thomas in game one. He struck out six and walked none. Brandywine’s first hit off of Thomas came with no outs in the sixth inning when Zack Grishaber singled.

“I think that kid in the first game threw as good a game as he’s ever thrown,” Brandywine baseball coach Dave Sidenbender said. “He threw great and sometimes you just tip your hat.”

Thomas got all the runs he needed in the first inning when Buchanan scored four times. Darren Shearer collected an RBI double and Gavin Morris and Austin Hall each had an RBI single in the first for the Bucks.

In game two, Buchanan got some clutch pitching from starter Alex Lindamood and from Riddle in relief. The Bobcats left 13 runners on base. Riddle, who got out of a bases-loaded one-out jam in the fifth, struck out seven over three innings.

“Our pitchers really moved the ball around and changed speeds,” Hoover said. “They got their offspeed pitches across the plate for strikes and that makes a huge difference.”

Riddle doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Bucks. Jordan Hunt singled twice and drove in a run for the Bobcats.

Five Brandywine errors led to three unearned runs for Buchanan.

“We’ve played pretty well all year and today we didn’t come to play and they did,” Sidenbender said. “In the second game we didn’t put together good at-bats. We didn’t do a good job with guys in scoring position.”

 

BUCHANAN 6-6, BRANDYWINE 0-1

At Buchanan

First Game

Brandywine   000     000      0 – 0 2 2

Buchanan       400     110      x – 6 11 2

Toby Fox (L, 6-2), Chandler Plew (6) and Tanner Bowdon; Jarrett Thomas (W, 7-1) and Chad Adkerson

2B: Darren Shearer (BU)

 

Second Game

Brandywine   000     000     1 – 1 7 5

Buchanan       102     300     x – 6 9 1

Matt Vaughn (L, 4-2), Zack Grishaber (4) and Jesh Wiese; Alex Lindamood (W), Dalton Riddle (5) and Chad Adkerson

2B: Riddle (BU) 2, Gavin Morris (BU)

Varsity records: Brandywine 17-4, 6-2 BCS West; Buchanan 15-4, 6-2 BCS West