Page 8
Baseball Team Stands
7 and 4
Quaker Baseball team stands with 7-4 record, heads into
conference play Tuesday
When you talk about an explosive offensive people do not
usually think that you mean baseball. But that is exactly what
the Guilford College Quaker baseball team has; an explosive
offensive team.
After spliting a double header with Duke on Sunday, the
Quakers stand with a 7-4 overall record and have scored
131 runs in 11 games for an average of 12.6 runs per game.
The Quaker baseball team started off the week with a 15-1
win over Salem College and followed the next day with a
21-5 win over the same team from West Virginia.
In the first game with Salem, Pella Stokes was the big gun
as he blasted a three run homer for the Quakers. Greg Gambrell,
the Quaker freshman left handed pitcher from Goldsboro,
North Carolina picked up the win as he struck out 8 batters
in five innings.
In the second game with Salem it was Bruce Baden who did
much of the damage as he homered, doubled, scored four
times and drove in four runs. Charlie Kearns added another
homer.
On Friday the Quakers defeated Eastern Connecticut State
12-0 as freshman Jerry Broome went the distance on the mound
for the Quakers becoming the first Quaker pitcher this year to
do so and also became the first member of the pitching
staff to notch a shutout.
Jeff Kirtz did it at the plate for the Quakers as he ripped
a grand slam homer and Bruce Baden added a two run
homer in the winning effort.
The next day was not quite the same as Guilford fell
9-7 to the same team. After being held at bay for six innings
the Quakers ignited in the seventh inning as they picked up
a single run.
In the eighth the Quakers picked up three more runs as
Mark Guenther started things off with a solo homer.
But in the ninth inning E. Connecticut scored six runs to
hand the Quakers their third loss of the year.
On Sunday the Quakers faced the Duke Blue Devils. In
the first game Greg Gambrell showed why he is considered the
number one pitcher for the Quakers this year as he struckout
12 batters in the seven inning game and allowed only five hits
and two runs as the Quakers defeated Duke 3-2.
Gambrell picked up his third win of the year against no
losses. Guilford got things going in the third inning as Barry
Hussey started things with a base hit. Hussey advanced to
second on a wild pitch and Mark Guenther then singled to
place runners on first and third. Pella Stokes bunted Guenther
down to third, and then came "King Kong," Kirtz to the plate.
With a 3-1 count the Quaker designated hitter ripped a double
to score both Hussey and Guenther, and place the Quakers
ahead 2-0.
In the fourth inning Reggie Teague started off the inning with
a walk, Brett Stell, the speedy little freshman from Raleigh,
N.C., came in to run for the catcher Teague. Charlie Kearns
sacrificed him over to second and then Hussey singled in Stell
from second.
In the second game Duke jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead
before, King Kong decided to knock the cover off of the ball.
The Stanton, Virginia native slapped two homers, one a solo
shot and the other a two run blast to try to help the Quakers.
But Guilford fell 10-5 and now stands with a 7-4 record.
Tuesday at 3:00 at Guilford will mark the opening of the 1977
Carolinas Conference race as the Quakers will be facing
Catawba College.
Jerry Broome the Quaker strong right hander is expected to
start on the mound. The Mebane, North Carolina native has
a 2-1 record on the year.
On Wednesday, the Quakers will face another CC foe
in Atlantic Christian. Greg Gambrell is expected to start that
game for the Quakers.
Thursday and Friday will also see the Quakers at home at
Quaker "Stadium," as they face St. Lawrence University on
Thursday and Lynchburg College on Friday. All games start at
3:00.
The Guilfordian
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Quaker Phenomenon
Jeff Kirtz
BY JOHNNY MOORE
When the Guilford College basketball team went to Kansas
City for the National basketball title last year, after winning
the District title there were great banners raised and streamers
all over campus. When the football team won their first game
in a while three years ago there was great celebrating, but
what about last spring when the Guilford College baseball team
won the NAIA Area 7 baseball title and became one of the
top eight baseball teams in the country in the NAIA?
Well most of the Guilford College student body had gone
home for summer vacation and did not even know about it
until they came back this fall.
It seemed a shame that such a great baseball team should
not also enjoy the benefits as the other Quaker sports.
But, last year is gone and so are a number of those players
that made the great season possible. Randy Black, the Quakers
fleet-footed centerfielder signed with the Philadelphia Phillies
organization, Ray Cooke, the Quakers strong right-hander
graduated, Larry Jackson had to retire after notching 12
wins and carrying much of the winning himself, due to old
age, and catcher Stan Smith graduated.
Althouth these players were great ones for the Quakers and
Larry Jackson will go down as one of the top three pitchers
ever in Guilford history, if he is not the most valuable total
baseball player to ever play at Guilford. The Quaker diamondmen
still have a lot of good new players.
Greg Gambrell who has a 3-0 pitching record and has 29
strikeouts in 19 innings, is beginning to look like a young Larry
Jackson, and it should only be fitting that Jerry tsroome
a strong right hander wear number 12, a uniform that was
worn by the Quakers strong right hander last year Ray Cooke.
But the thing that makes this years team a little more exciting
than last season's squad is number 15, Jeff Kirtz.
Kirtz is a junior college transfer from Sandhills Community
College, and hails from Stanton, Virginia. A junior, Kirtz
has taken over the designated hitting duties for the Quakers
and has done quite a good job at it. If stats make a ball
player super, then Jeff Kirtz is unbelievable. Through 11 games
this is what Kirtz's stats look like.
G-11; AB-44; R-21; H 21; 28-5; 38-1; HR-9; SB-5; 88-9;
HP-1; SAC-1; SO-5; RBI-31; Batting Average-.477
In comparison the following are Randy Black's stats for the
1976 season. Black was the leading hitter for the Quakers.
G-45; AB-179; R-45; H-54; 28-3; 38-3; SB-17; 88-31; SAC-3;
SO-21; RBI-35; Batting Average-. 301
A quick look will show you that Kirtz is only four R.8.1.'s
short of what Black had last season and that led the team, and
has already tied Black in home runs with 9. Both Black and
Baden had 9 homers to lead the squad last year.
Along with all of these super batting figures, Kirtz* has also
"played centerfield for the Quakers and has come in as a relief
pitcher in two games.
Kirtz has come along just right for the Quakers, to make
an understatement, who were not sure of their offensive
strength after losing two of the biggest bats in Black and Smith.
Not only has Kirtz with his great hitting provided this club
with offensive power but so have Mark Guenther who is
batting over .450, Bruce Baden who has four homers and
batting over .480, and Pella Stokes, who has shown a lot of
great hitting power this season.
What it all boils down to is the fact that last year's
squad went to the final eight team tourney and had an
explosive squad offensively, this year's team has a lot more
potential and a lot of offense.
On May 31st of last year, the Guilford College student
body did not get to see the Quakers play in the World Series
of NAIA baseball, but this spring they have the chance.
On Tuesday Guilford will face Carolinas Conference foe
Catawba at 3:00 and then on Wednesday the Quakers face
Atlantic Christian, two big conference games.
March 22,1977