Conville becomes Hawks’ winningest baseball coach

By Wesley Lyle

Sports Information Director

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Huntingdon baseball team took two games from Guilford College on Saturday as head coach D.J. Conville became the winningest coach in 56 seasons of Huntingdon baseball.

With a 5-3 win in Game 1 and a 3-0 win in seven innings in Game 2, Conville reached win No. 320 at Huntingdon to set a new mark for the program.

"This is very humbling," Conville said. "This means a lot to me because this program and this school mean the world to me. This is my home.

"Everything we have been able to accomplish is because good players and good assistant coaches have bought into what we wanted to do and have worked hard to make this program successful. Something like this isn't possible without hard working players, hard working assistant coaches and a supportive administration."

In his 12th season as head coach, Conville has a record of 320-176 at Huntingdon.

"He is a great coach and this reflects on the way he has led this program," senior Patrick Kucera said. "Being a part of his 300th win earlier this season, overcoming adversity and winning the conference championship last weekend and now, seeing him become the winningest coach, we're all glad we could be a part of it."

Saturday was the first action for the Hawks (26-17) since winning the USA South Athletic Conference championship last weekend.

"This is one of the most loyal and hardest working groups I have ever coached," Conville said. "The milestones that have been reached this year and the accomplishments we've had as a team are magnified because this is such a special group of players."

Hosting Guilford (17-22) on Senior Day, the Hawks scored two runs late to win Game 1 and held the Quakers to two hits to win Game 2.

Tied 3-3 in the seventh inning of Game 1, Josh Hines scored on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Spivey to give Huntingdon the lead. An RBI single by David Ellison scored Mason Throneberry to make it a two-run game in the eighth inning.

Hines accounted for two of the Hawks' five hits in the game and drove in two runs. Spivey also drove in two runs. Kucera, Gunnar Peters and Landon Sessions scored the first three runs of the game for Huntingdon. Kucera also had two stolen bases.

Zack Watson (6-5) went 7 1/3 innings to earn the win. Watson struck out 11, scattered six hits and allowed two earned runs. Throneberry took the mound in the ninth inning to earn his sixth save of the season.

In Game 2, which was shortened to seven innings, Jared Gonzalez (5-5) threw a complete-game two-hitter, struck out six and allowed one walk in the shutout.

Cheston Wesson and Coleson Taylor each had two hits in the second game. An RBI single by Wesson scored Spivey in the first inning. The Hawks made it 2-0 in the fourth inning when Luke Ates scored on a sacrifice fly by Spivey. The Hawks closed the scoring in the sixth inning when Taylor scored on a sacrifice fly by Kucera.

Huntingdon and Guilford will close out the three-game series on Sunday at noon at Posey Field.