Shepherd got one win in its first trip south of the baseball season, that being a 9-3 win over host

UNC-Pembroke when pitcher John Bentley went eight innings and threw 120 pitches in a 9-3

victory.

The Rams, however, dropped two games to Pembroke, losing 12-1 in the season opener and 11-6 in the rubber game of the three-game series.

Several first-year players fared well at the plate for the Rams. Freshman outfielder Brenton Doyle had at least one hit in all three games as did first-year starter Tyler Thomas, who caught all three games.

In Shepherd’s Bentley-pitched win, the Rams had a five-run first inning and led 9-1 after four innings. Bentley allowed nine hits and fanned seven in his lengthy start.

Ron Farley had a two-run homer in the first while Daniel Heleine had a three-run homer and struck out four times. Thomas lifted a two-run homer while J.J. Sarty went 2-for-5, Mike Brown 2-for-5 and Jacob Carney walked four times and scored two runs.

The Rams opened, losing a 12-1 verdict as transfer pitcher Joe Rindone went 4.1 innings and absorbed the loss.

Dan Galiti and Brandon Hovel followed Rindone and neither did well. Galiti yielded 2 runs and got only two outs. Hovel was nicked for five hits and two runs while hitting two batters in his three innings.

Doyle was 2-for-3, Chase Hoffman 2-for-4, Thomas went 1-for-3 with Farley and Heleine adding singles.

In the series-ending 11-6 loss, the Rams had starting pitcher Ryan Simpson roughed up for four earned runs in his three innings. Simpson yielded three hits, hit two batters, threw two wild pitches and committed two balks.

Pembroke scored at least one run its first five innings of offense.

Shepherd landed 12 hits but committed five infield errors.

Carney was 2-for-4 and drove in two runs, Doyle was 2-for-4 and scored twice and Brandon Kirk had a three-run home run.

A,J. Stead followed Simpson and went two innings while allowing four hits and hitting a batter. Only one run scored off him was earned. Noah Auman was effective enough in his two innings following Stead to the mound. Auman allowed two hits, hit a batter and was unscored on in his short stint.

Shepherd is in South Carolina for three games this weekend against South Carolina-Aiken.