No. 11 Gaston College rolls past Cleveland Community College in first road game of the year

Gaston College's baseball team returned to action after last weekend's historic series victory with a national ranking and the usual results.

The Rhinos, who defeated No. 8-ranked Florence-Darlington Tech two games to one last weekend to give Shohn Doty his 200th head coaching victory, returned to action on a chilly, blustery Tuesday afternoon with a 10-2, 8-inning win at Cleveland Community College.

Gaston College, now 18-1, had a day earlier been given its first official ranking (No. 11) of the season in the National Junior College Athletic Association poll.

"I think it's good for recruiting and good for our kids," Doty said of the team's national ranking. "But if you work your tails off, you get rewarded. We're there now and it's up to us not to give it back."

In the game, Doty thought the weather conditions in his team's first road game of the season played a role in limited early offensive production before the Rhinos struck for two runs in the top of the fourth inning.

After the host Yetis tied the scored with two in the bottom of the fourth, Gaston College erupted for seven in the sixth and one more in the seventh to close out the win by the mercy rule.

"The offense got off to a slow start, but we were able to string some hits together in the sixth inning," Doty said.

Nick Diehl (3 hits, double, home run, 3 RBIs), Joey Nicholson (3 hits, double, 1 RBI), Logan Ponnett (2 hits), Caden Davidson (double, 2 RBIs), Koy Swanson (home run, 2 RBIs) and Tyler Cook (home run, 2 RBIs) led the 12-hit offense.

And starter Zach Kimmel (3 innings), reliever and winner Gavin Aldredge (2 innings) and reliever Jake Casey (2 innings) combined on an eight-hitter.

"I thought the local kid gave us a really, really good start," Doty said of Kimmel, a 2025 Hunter Huss graduate. "He threw the ball exceptionally well. And then the other guys stepped up after him. So, overall, it was a good day.
"It was our first road victory. There's still some room for improvement and a chance to get ready for a really good Sumter team."

The Rhinos return to Region 10 action at home at Gastonia's Sims Legion Park against USC Sumter in a 1 p.m. Saturday doubleheader and a 1 p.m. game on Sunday.