Coming into the season, Morris College of Sumter, South Carolina, was staring at another losing season much like the previous three years. Not fielding baseball games until mid-March, well after all of the nation’s collegiate baseball teams have played fifteen or more of their scheduled ball games, typically put Morris at an immediate disadvantage. This has been the norm for the Hornets. Head coach Clarence Houck also serves as the head basketball coach and school athletic director.
The baseball programs season starts when Houck’s basketball season ends and with just enough time to prepare a team with with limited practice time and no fall ball to prepare for the season ahead.
Morris opened its 2018 season hosting a doubleheader against foe Voorhees College and won game one by the score of 9-2, thus ending a 45 game losing streak dating back to 2014, the nation longest losing streak.
The Hornets scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the first inning to grab the early lead, then poceeded to add three runs to make the score 4-0 in the bottom of the third inning. Voorhees scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning, but was still behind 4-2 as Morris answered in the bottom of the fifth crossing the plate five times a for a 9-2 margin. Voorhees would not score any more runs as Morris posted the 9-2 victory.
Morris College’s win snapped the 45 game losing streak which dates back to the 2014 season when they defeated Voorhees in a 13-11 slugfest on April 8, 2014. Morris finished that season 2-15.
The thrill of victory did not last long as, in game two, Voorhees defeated Morris by the score of 27-5.
Morris College record since 2014:
2014 2-15 (Last 7 games of the 2014 season started the losing streak)
2015 0-16
2016 0-13
2017 0-9
2018 1-1