April 14, 2006

Game 1; Game 2

LAURINBURG, NC— Senior right fielder Anthony Mehling (Pottsville, PA) went 5-for-7 on the day including four RBI, two runs scored, a homerun and a double to lift host St. Andrews Presbyterian College to a Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference split with Pfeiffer University. The Falcons (21-30 overall; 11-12 CVAC) won the first game 13-2 while the Knights (19-27 overall; 8-15 CVAC) took the finale 11-7.

The two teams will compete in the rubber game of the conference series on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Game 1 (9 innings)

Junior Blake Jordan (Haw River, NC) crushed a two-run homerun to left-center in the top of the first to give the visiting Falcons a quick 2-0 lead.

Senior first baseman Greg Wrape (Hamlet, NC) put the Knights on the scoreboard with a two-out single in the bottom of the first that scored freshman designated hitter Matt Harkness (Walnut Cove, NC).

An RBI-single by Jordan in the third and an unearned run in the fourth extended the Pfeiffer lead to 4-1. The Falcons exploded for seven more in the fifth and a solo homer by sophomore Bryan Braxton (Hillsborough, NC) in the sixth made it 12-2. Pfeiffer added its fifth unearned run in the seventh to conclude the scoring.

Junior catcher Cliff Allred (Franklinville, NC) drove in the Knights second run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth. St. Andrews had multiple opportunities to drive in more runs leaving 15 runners on base.

Senior Mike McClain (Stoney Creek, NC) led the Falcons with a 4-for-5 performance with three runs scored. Sophomore starter Ben Beard (Huntersville, NC) went 8.0 innings in the two run, nine hit, and four strikeout victory.

Game 2 (7 innings)

SAPC grabbed a quick 1-0 first-inning lead in the nightcap. After sophomore shortstop Jose Rodriguez (Orlando, FL) led off with a ground rule double to center, Mehling drove in Rodriguez with a single that was just outside the reach of the Pfeiffer third baseman.

Three consecutive run producing doubles in the second by junior left fielder Adam Stemple (Holly Springs, GA), freshman center fielder Jordan Scott (Tarboro, NC) and Rodriquez stretched the St. Andrews lead to 4-0.

Following two walks, freshman Chris Dove (Burlington, NC) drove in the Falcons first run in the fourth on a double to left. However, Scott regained the four-run cushion for the Knights with a RBI-single in the bottom of the fourth. St. Andrews continued the rally with four more runs in fourth including a single by Harkness that scored Scott and a homerun by Mehling. The three-run blast to right by Mehling was his fourth of the season.

Pfeiffer did not give in as they scored three in the fifth on a two-run single by junior Daniel Brown (Walnut Cove, NC) and a one-run single by Jordan. The Falcons continued to slice away at the lead with three more in the sixth. After freshman Ryan Brown (Concord, NC) singled in Pfeiffer’s fifth run, junior Kyle Pugh (Asheboro, NC) hit a two-run rocket to right to pull within two, 9-7.

With the game on the line, Knights sophomore closer T.J. Chrusch (Fleetwood, PA) closed the door on Pfeiffer allowing just one hit in the final 1 1/3 innings. It was Chrusch’s eighth save of the season.

St. Andrews responded with two unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded, freshman Jason Cargile (Greenville, NC) ripped a two-run single to give the Knights the final 11-7 advantage.

Junior southpaw Ryan Curley (Emmaus, PA) was credited with his fifth victory of the season after allowing four runs on six hits while striking out three in 4 1/3 innings of work.

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