KANAPOLIS, N.C. - Jeff Maloney drove in three runs with two doubles in his first two at-bats Sunday, giving the Hagerstown Suns pitching staff all the support it needed to outdo Piedmont for a 8-2 victory.
Piedmont entered the four-game series with Hagerstown (13-10, 61-33) with the top pitching staff in the South Atlantic League, carrying a 2.69 team earned run average. The Suns have scored 13 runs, 11 earned in the first two games, while their pitchers have held the Boll Weevils to just two earned runs.
Hagerstown was the league's fifth best staff with a 3.80 ERA.
Hagerstown scored single runs in each of the first two innings off Piedmont starter Derek Adair (1-2).
Ryan Fleming hit a two-out homer in the first and Maloney drove Jose Umbria with his first double in the second to stake Hagerstown to a 2-0 lead.
The Suns added three runs in the fourth when Orlando Hudson drew a leadoff walk, took second on Tyler Thompson's single and scored on Joe Dusan's RBI single. Maloney followed with his second double, a two-run shot, to give the Suns a 5-0 lead.
