April 01, 2006

Game 1; Game 2

LAURINBURG, NC—Erskine College rebounded from a 6-4 defeat on Friday, with a doubleheader sweep of host St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference baseball to take the season-series with 6-1 and 5-2 victories on Saturday at Clark Field.

The Flying Fleet, who are ranked No. 7 in the current NCBWA South Atlantic Poll, improved to 28-9 overall and 11-5 in the CVAC. The Knights fell to 18-21 overall and 7-14 in the conference.

Game 1 (9 innings)

The Fleet opened up the first game with a two-out, four-run rally on five straight hits in the top of the first. The inning was highlighted by RBI-doubles by Juan Adriatico (Daytona Beach, FL) and sophomore Matt Wurzer (Lyons, NY). A seeing-eyed single up the middle by senior J.J. Newman (Wheeling, WV) that scored freshman Matt Long extended Erskine’s lead to 5-0 in the fourth.

Four singles in the bottom of the sixth produced the Knights only run of the game. After senior Anthony Mehling (Pottsville, PA) and junior Cliff Allred (Franklinville, NC) slapped base knocks, senior Greg Wrape (Hamlet, NC) plated Mehling with a single through the right side of the infield. Mehling, Allred, Wrape, and sophomore Michael Eastwood (Grantsboro, NC) delivered two hits apiece to account for eight of the Knights nine hits. SAPC stranded six base runners.

Erskine added an insurance run in the ninth as freshman Matt Schneider (Greenville, SC) reached on a passed ball after striking out. Later in the inning, Wurzer drove in Schneider on a fielder’s choice groundball.

Sophomore starter Mike Moore (Lexington, SC) remained untarnished on the year, 4-0, with the complete-game victory. Moore allowed one run on nine hits while fanning six.

Junior southpaw Ryan Curley (Emmaus, PA) went the distance for SAPC, allowing six runs (four earned) on 10 hits while striking out seven. Curley (4-6) retired 24 of his last 28 batters after the first inning.

Game 2 (7 innings)

Once again, Erskine jumped out in the nightcap with three runs (two unearned) in the first. Senior Robbie Knapp (Branford, FL), Adriatico, and freshman Evan Cook (Sebastian, FL) all drove in runs.

The Flying Fleet led off both the third and fourth with solo home runs. Knapp connected on his team-high 12th of the year to left-center while Wurzer crushed his third of the season to right.

Mehling just missed hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the third that would have tied the game. Sophomore Andrew Hoffner (Ellicott City, MD) singled, Eastwood was hit by a pitch, and sophomore Jose Rodriguez (Orlando, FL) walked to fill the base paths. Mehling drilled a long fly ball to left that was caught at the edge of the fence. The sacrifice fly plated Hoffner for the Knights first run.

St. Andrews chipped away at the lead with another run in the sixth. After back-to-back singles by Wrape and senior Brad Smith (Riegelwood, NC), freshman Jordan Scott (Tarboro, NC) ripped a single through the right side that scored Wrape from second.

However, junior closer Jake Williams (Marrion, NC) shut the door with a scoreless seventh for his ninth save of the season. Sophomore starter Russell Reid (Hudson, NC) scattered seven hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings while striking out four.

Mehling (3-4) took the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits in three-plus innings. Mehling and freshman reliever Ryan Kirkman (Liberty, NC) both had two strikeouts apiece.

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