February 6, 2008

Boxscore

PEMBROKE, N.C.—The top four batters in the Knights lineup all scored and sophomore leftfielder Alex Ridout (Wake Forest, N.C.) collected a pair of hits for visiting St. Andrews Presbyterian College but host UNC Pembroke used two big innings en route to an 11-4 non-conference baseball victory on Wednesday afternoon at Sammy Cox Baseball Field.

Senior shortstop Jason Morales (Fayetteville, N.C.) had a monstrous day helping the Braves remain perfect on the season at 4-0 with a trio of three-run home runs and nine RBI. The Knights fell to 1-2 on the year.

St. Andrews opened up the scoring when junior catcher Kyle Norris (Laurel Hill, N.C.) crossed home plate in the top off the second with the help of two UNCP errors. The Braves bounced right back with six runs in the home half of the second to take the lead for good. Morales highlighted the Pembroke rally with a three-run blast to right field. Freshman Jon-Jon Mirra (Jacksonville, N.C.) also added a two-run single.

The Knights pulled to within two (6-4) with three runs in the third. Junior centerfielder Ivan Rodriguez (New York, N.C.) led off with a single to left and later scored on an error. Norris and senior first baseman Sam Williams (Rockingham, N.C.) drove in the final two SAPC runs on a pair of RBI-groundouts.

UNC Pembroke pulled away with a five spot in the fourth inning to stretch their lead to 11-4 including back-to-back home runs. Morales added his second homer -- this time a three-run bomb to centerfield -- during the Braves surge while senior Josh Bentley (Lenoir, N.C.) capped the inning with a solo shot to right.

Morales added three more insurance runs for the Braves in the bottom of the eighth, ripping his third, three-run home run to left field. Morales, who finished with nine RBI on the game, has four homers on the season.

Braves freshman right-hander Timmy King (Unionville, N.C.) earned the win in his first collegiate start by allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits while strike out five over eight innings.

St. Andrews sent six pitchers to the mound with freshman starter Caleb Johnson (Wilkesboro, N.C.) being tagged with the loss. Johnson fanned two batters in his first collegiate appearance while freshman Kyle Cummings (Wake Forest, N.C.) tossed two hitless innings for the Knights.

Ridout, who was the only Knights batter to collect two hits, also had St. Andrews only extra-base hit with a double in the fourth.

Seniors Stuart Champion (Shallotte, N.C.) and Kevin Dietrich (Charlotte, N.C.), along with Morales and Mirra, combined for 12 of the Braves 17 total hits with three apiece.

St. Andrews will next play in three games at the 2008 Swamp Fox Challenge hosted by Francis Marion University this coming weekend. The Knights battle a trio of Peach Belt schools in Florence, S.C., including Lander University on Friday (3:00 p.m.), host Francis Marion on Saturday (3:00 p.m.), and a rematch against UNC Pembroke on Sunday (6:00 p.m.).