Then on Thursday night, the Weevils turned Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium into a driving range. Tom Batson and Nate Espy launched long homers as the Weevils snapped out of a mini-funk with a 5-1 South Atlantic League baseball win over the visiting Savannah Sand Gnats.

Piedmont (27-13) lost three of four games at home to Delmarva in a series that ended Tuesday and looked awful doing it. Piedmont was hammered 25-11 in that sad series by the Shorebirds.

“Our first real adversity of the year,” agreed Weevil manager Greg Legg.

But a warm spring day at the links seemed to recharge everyone’s baseball juices.

“The break came at a perfect time for us, but this team has a bunch of guys who love to play baseball,” said Legg. “They were ready to get back out there. Heck, they couldn’t wait to get back out there.”

They especially couldn’t wait to get back out there behind lefty Adam Walker. Walker (6-1) continued his domination of the SAL, compiling six strikeouts and scattering five hits in seven innings of toil. Walker now has 50 Ks in 48 innings.

It was Batson, who snapped the Weevils out of their doldrums when he led off the second inning with his first homer of the season. Batson didn’t yell “Fore!” but there was little doubt his drive was exiting the premises.

“Batson’s homer — that’s what got us going,” said Legg.

And Brian Hitchcox kept it going with a double. He scored the Weevils’ second run on Jeremy Deitrick’s base hit.

Walker got some serious help from his defense in the third when rightfielder Jorge Padilla came up with a diving catch to rob Jason Jones of extra bases. Padilla’s play excavated Walker from what might have developed into a serious Sand Gnat sand trap, because there were already two runners aboard.

“That’s a great play,” said Legg. “Padilla saved two runs, maybe even three. After that, I thought Walker got a lot better.”

The Gnats nicked Walker for a shutout-spoiling run in the top of the fifth, but the Weevils answered right back in their half. The key was the duckhook that Marlon Byrd plopped just over second baseman Inocencio Acevedo’s head. Acevedo twisted like a pretzel, but couldn’t make the catch. Espy followed with a routine grounder to short. Byrd tried to advance and should have been an easy out, but shortstop Jose Morbon fired the ball OB — past third into the visitors dugout, allowing Byrd to score.

“Not exactly the way we work on it in spring training,” said Legg. “But Byrd hustled. Their guy double-clutched and then he had to rush the throw. It was a huge break for us.”

And the Weevils made Savannah pay for the mistake, something they failed to do throughout the Shorebird series. They brought Espy around with an infield hit by Batson and a two-out single by Hitchcox.

Espy thrilled the gallery with a 420-foot moon shot to open the seventh. Legg green-lighted him on a 3-and-0 count and the 215-pound masher powered one right down the fairway — one of the most prodigious blasts of this or any other season. That bomb seemed to defuse any comeback hopes harbored by the Gnats.

“Nate gave us some breathing room — the first breathing space we’ve had in awhile. It’s been fight, fight, fight every game lately,” said Legg, sounding like a high school cheerleader.

Espy, 22, is hitting for both power and average. His .349 batting mark is second in the league behind Hickory sensation J.R. House, while his 11 homers place him in a tie with House for the SAL lead. Espy has whacked six homers in his last 11 games, the best power tear in Weevil land since Eric Valent blew through town a couple of summers back.

Justin Fry and Mark Outlaw finished up on the mound for the Weevils, more because they needed the work than because Walker was fading.

And speaking of fading, Legg’s golf game didn’t exactly draw rave reviews in his postgame soliloquy.

“I was awful,” he said. “The Legger had an awful day and you can quote me. I didn’t hear the bottom of the cup on a putt all day long.

“But you know,” he added, “when you do something like that for a good cause you sleep very well.”

Legg likely enjoyed a second sound sleep last night. Because his Weevils survived their first round of adversity without losing their firm grip at the top of the leader board.

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