MISENHEIMER – Brad Bridgeman's sacrifice fly with one out in the top of the 11th inning plated J.J. Williams with the eventual game-winning run as the 18th-ranked Braves staved off upset-minded Pfeiffer with a 4-3 win over the Falcons on Tuesday afternoon at Joe Ferebee Field.

Williams and Josh Haley combined to post half of the hit total on the day for UNCP (8-0) who was held to just one hit over the final four innings of the game. Haley singled, doubled and walked once to earmark a 2-for-5 hitting line, with Williams singling twice and scoring once on an equally as impressive 2-for-5 day. Kyle Adair tagged his first home run of the season, walked twice and drove in two runs on a 1-for-3 outing for the Black and Gold as well.

Pfeiffer (4-4) got multi-hit days from three different players, including Jon Gray's 2-for-4 plate showing, but Eric Shoemaker's game-tying home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth was the loudest performance of the day.

UNCP starter Josh Bagley struck out six and scattered four hits across seven innings of work, but failed to pick up the decision after closer Brian Willis blew his first save of the season by allowing three runs in the last frame. Newcomer Braxton Lewis (1-0) struck out a trio of Falcons, walked three and allowed two hits in 2-2/3 innings of clutch relief work to grab the win for the visitors.

Pfeiffer starter Eric Shuford struck out nine and allowed just six hits in six innings of work but, he too, did not pick up a decision after exiting the game at the end of the sixth inning. Luke Wilhelm (0-1) yielded one hit, five walks and a crucial earned run in four innings from the hill in saddling the loss for the hosts. He also struck out three batters.

Adair broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff home run in the top of the fifth inning and UNCP stretched the advantage out to 3-0 with two runs in the eighth, but Pfeiffer would knot the score on a last-chance rally in the ninth.

Willis struck out Preston Lyon to begin the inning, but reached base nonetheless on Willis' wild pitch on strike three. A single by Gray, as well as a fielding error by the Braves, would lead to Pfeiffer's first run of the game moments later, but the comeback was brought to fruition with the next at-bat as Shoemaker sent a two-strike offering from Willis over the wall in left field.

UNCP saw three of its first four batters of the 11th inning reach base safely to set the table for Bridgeman's dramatic flyout to centerfield, but Pfeiffer would not go away quietly. Hunter Boehme singled to lead off the bottom of the frame and was moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt with the next at-bat, but Lewis held off the rally attempt by inducing two groundouts to seal the deal for the Braves.

The Braves will be back in action again this weekend when they suit up to host Bloomfield (0-0) in a three-game series at Sammy Cox Field. The squads will open up the set with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday before closing out the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. as well. Admission prices are $5 for adults and $2 for children 18 years of age and younger. UNCP students are admitted free with a valid Braves Card.