DAVIDSON — There has been a lot expected of Siler City native and Jordan-Matthews graduate Josh Hudson this season for the Davidson College baseball team.
And the senior right-hander has delivered.
Hudson, a 6-2 starter for the Wildcats, was at it again on Sunday morning at Wilson Field as the local product picked up the win after working 6.2 innings in a 10-2 victory over Rhode Island in Atlantic 10 Conference play.
The win by Hudson secured the series victory by Davidson after the Wildcats had downed the Rams 7-2 on Saturday night.
Rhode Island won the nightcap on Sunday 4-0 to avoid the sweep.
Davidson now stands 6-3 in the Atlantic 10 and 16-15 overall while remaining in striking distance of league leading VCU (10-2, 27-9).
In the opening win which saw a first pitch at 11 am on Sunday morning, Hudson was sharp but allowed a run in the top of the first to the Rams.
Hudson blanked Rhode Island the next five innings while Davidson tallied two runs in the bottom of the first and one more in the second to take a 3-1 lead. Alex Mardiney hit a two-run home run in the first for the Wildcats before Brett Centracchio smacked a solo shot in the second.
After Eric Jones added another home run to send Davidson up 3-1 in the sixth, Hudson left the game in the seventh with two outs and the bases full, and was saddled with a run when reliever Pete Bloomberg walked in a run before getting the final out of the inning.
The Wildcats would finish off the Rams in the next two at-bats, however, when Matt Frey blasted a two-run shot in the seventh, Alex Fedje-Johnson and Max Bazin added RBI-singles in the four-run seventh, and Fedje-Johnson finished off the Rams with a two-run double in the eighth.
Hudson closed the game by scattering five hits, two walks, two earned runs, and striking out three.
On the season, Hudson is 3-1 despite several outings in which the right-hander deserved wins but ended up with little run support which ultimately led to no-decisions.
Hudson has an ERA of just 3.05 and has worked 44.1 innings while allowing 39 hits, 13 walks, 19 runs (15 runs) and striking out 40. Opponents have posted just a .225 batting average versus Hudson.
Davidson was scheduled to resume play on Tuesday at home against Presbyterian before heading to George Washington this weekend for a three-game Atlantic 10 series which begins on Friday night.