February 21, 2007

Boxscore

LAURINBURG, N.C.—Sophomore Ivan Rodriguez (New York, N.Y.) led St. Andrews Presbyterian College with three hits and five runs batted in en route to a 17-3 NCAA Division II South Atlantic region victory over North Carolina Central University on Wednesday afternoon at Clark Field.

The Knights, winners of six straight games, have improved to 7-4 on the season. SAPC also remained perfect at home, 6-0, after ripping 16 hits against the Eagles (2-9 Overall).

St. Andrews jumped out to a 2-0 lead plating a pair of runs in the second. Sophomore Matt Harkness (Walnut Cove, N.C.) led off with a single up the middle and scored on an ensuing double in the left field gap by junior Sam Williams (Rockingham, N.C.). Freshman Steve Lambert (Millis, Mass.) capped the run with a triple to right-center that drove in Williams.

NCCU rallied back and took its only lead of the day with three runs in the fifth. Freshman Tye Gray (Waldorp, Md.) tied the contest with a two-run double and sophomore Gene Suarez (Fayetteville, N.C.) plated the go-ahead run with a single.

Senior Cliff Allred (Franklinville, N.C.) catapulted the Knights back on top for good with his second home run of the season. Allred ripped the two-run blast over the left field fence in the bottom of the fifth.

Allred’s homer opened up the flood gates as SAPC scored 13 more runs in their final innings including five-run frames in the sixth and eighth.

Rodriguez and Harkness tied each other with a game-high three hits apiece. Rodriguez capped his day with a bases-clearing, three-run double in the eighth. Junior Michael Eastwood (Grantsboro, N.C.) had his 10-game hit streak end but was still productive scoring three times. Lambert, who had a double and a triple, also crossed home plate a trio of times.

Eight different Knights had a multi-hit day on Wednesday including freshman Andrew Bizjak (Mt. Airy, Md.), junior Eric Stone ( Laurinburg, N.C.), sophomore Jordan Scott (Tarboro, N.C.), Allred, and Williams.

St. Andrews used nine different pitchers, with each hurler throwing one inning of work. Senior Ryan Curley (Emmaus, Pa.), freshman Mark Dlugokienski (Naples, Fla.), and junior Travis Lee (Frederick, Md.) each tossed 1-2-3 stanzas. The nine Knights pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts from the rubber including two K’s from both sophomore starter Ryan Kirkman (Liberty, N.C.) and senior leftie Mike Mianulli (Ellicott City, Md.).

Mianulli (2-0) was credited with the win after being in the game when SAPC took the lead for good in the fifth.

St. Andrews will open up Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference play this weekend when they visit Erskine College (Due West, S.C.). Friday’s opener begins at 2:30 p.m. with Saturday’s doubleheader slated for a 12 Noon start.