Gaston College uses walk off home run to complete 4-game Region 10 series sweep

Gaston College was seeking to complete a four-game sweep.

Sophomore third basemen Matthew Dobson just wanted an opportunity.

That combination proved beneficial for coach Shohn Doty's Rhinos as Dobson came off the bench to hit a walk off solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 3-2 victory as Gaston College completed a doubleheader sweep of USC Lancaster at Gastonia's Sims Legion Park.

"it's a great feeling," said Dobson, who drove a 1-2 pitch over the fence in left-center field to set off a wild celebration with him and his teammates and coaches. "I didn't play all day then was put in a late-game situation. I was hunting a fastball and got two curveballs back-to-back and then I got one and got on it and thank the Lord it went out."

It was Dobson's first at-bat since March 7.

"We talk all the time about it takes the entire team, whether you're playing part-time or not," said Doty, whose nationally-ranked team improved to 26-3 overall and 5-1 in Region 10 action. "Matthew does a really good job against left-handed arms and we liked the matchup. And it is very difficult for him I'm sure but that's some maturity shown by him by staying ready to hit.
"Their guy made two really good pitches, throwing his breaking ball for strikes and Matthew's behind in the count. But then he gets a fastball and he handles it.
"At the end of the day, it's special for that young man and special for the program that he sat here for the whole day but wes invested enough in what we're doing that when his number was called, he came in and did his job."

Dobson's hit made a winner or reliever Landon Carr, who needed only 11 pitches to strike out the side in the top of the seventh and, as Doty put, "set the tone" Gaston's first walkoff winner of the year.

The only downside in the nightcap was an injury scare to starting shortstop Enrique Wood.

Wood was hit by a pitch with two outs in the seventh inning. Doty said Wood was hit in the nose and early indications were that he wouldn't be out for an extended period of time.

"That was scary for all of us for sure," Doty said.

In the opener, Derek Vartanian faced the minimum 21 batters in a 2-hit effort with nine strikeouts of an 8-0 victory.

Vartanian has now pitched in four of the Rhinos' seven shutouts this season and Sunday's effort was his first complete game. The right-hander yielded an infield single to lead off the fourth inning and a single to center to lead off the sixth inning.

The fourth-inning hit was erased by a double play started by shortstop Enrique Wood and turned by second baseman Miller St. John. And the sixth-inning hit was erased when catch Seth Christmas threw out a stolen base attempt with one out.

Vartanian closed out the game with four strikeouts out of the last five batters he faced.

A 5-run bottom of the first inning highlighted by Preston Hall's 2-run single and Andrew Muraco's RBI double was all the support Vartanian would need.

Wade Kelly (2 hits, double) and Adam Quintero (2-run home run) led Gaston College's 7-hit offense in the opener.

Currently tanked No. 14 in the National Junior College Athletic Association poll, No. 9 in the Dream Big Athletics and PBR Juco polls and No. 11 in thejbb.net poll, the Rhinos return to action Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Guilford Tech at the Truist Point ballpark that is home to the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

Then Gaston College visits USC Salkehatchie for 1 p.m. doubleheaders next Saturday and Sunday. The Rhinos' next home game is March 28 at 4 p.m. against Patrick & Henry Community College.