February 23, 2007

Boxscore

DUE WEST, S.C.—Erskine College pulled away late to take a 12-5 Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference baseball victory from visiting St. Andrews Presbyterian College on Friday afternoon at Grier Field.

The Knights, who fell to 7-5 overall and 0-1 in the CVAC, had their six-game win streak snapped in their conference opener. The Flying Fleet scored 12 runs on 15 hits to improve to 8-5 overall and 2-2 in the league.

Erskine broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runs but St. Andrews answered with two runs of their own in the top of the fifth to tie the game back up at 2-2. Junior Chad Heckler (Sidney, Ohio) started the two-out rally with a single and classmate Josh Day (Bessemer, N.C.) followed with a double. An ensuing ball put in play by freshman Jonathan Ramkissoon (Dallas, N.C.) scored both Heckler and Day as the Erskine right fielder committed an error.

The Fleet quickly responded with two more runs in both the fifth, sixth, and seventh and then four more runs in the eighth to take a commanding 12-2 advantage into the last frame.

SAPC attempted the big comeback scoring three runs in the ninth but still fell short. Junior Sam Williams (Rockingham, N.C.) and Heckler started the late rally with back-to-back singles. Day drove in both Knights with a double and eventually scored on a sophomore Ivan Rodriguez (New York, N.Y.) single.

Heckler and Day led the Knights offensively with three hits apiece while each crossing home plate twice.

Sophomore starter Ryan Kirkman (Liberty, N.C.) took the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits while striking out five in five innings of work.